File:BROOCH (FindID 779690).jpg

A fragment of a copper-alloy Roman bow brooch possibly a unusual style of Trumpet brooch. The brooch consists a fragment of the upper bow, the button and a fragment of the lower bow.

At the break the upper bow is hollow (1mm thick) and oval in cross section and filled with a soft black substance with a hardness of <2.5 in the Mohs scale. At the break the bow is 10.85mm wide and 6.45mm thick. Below the break the upper section of the bow is undecorated for c. 7mm before a raised horizontal ridge and a horizontal groove (7m in length) before thickening and widening at the button. The button is formed through two triangular nicks one located at either edge (13.8mm wide) and two projections (10.2mm in height). the projections are slightly curved and project outwards broadly at 45 degree angles. Below the button the bow is decorated with a similar horizontal groove c. 7mm in length and two horizontal ridges and grooves flanking a horizontal ridge decorated with incised transverse lines forming ropework. The bow is broadly pointed oval in cross section throughout its surviving section. At the break the lower bow isn 12.85mm wide.

The lower bow at the break is D shaped in cross section and flat on the reverse with evidence of a central vertical ridge, probably the incomplete catchplate.

A similar brooch has been identified by Mackreth, D. F. (2011), group 7, plate 87. The group is distinguisced by a big size and extraordinary features. No. 5509 (p. 128 and plate 87) is the most similar example, found in Oxford but undated. The all group should be placed between the middle and late 2nd century AD.