File:Early Medieval great square headed brooch (FindID 1015841).jpg

The head is a sub-rectangular plate whose lower edge appears slightly concave with slightly projecting ends, and whose design comprises a series of nested rectangular forms. A plain border runs around the plate. Rhomboid features, each bordered with an outer gutter, are set at its top corners. Between them is a plain field bearing a pair of horizontal ridges. Three more closely-spaced vertical ridges flanked by gutters run down from the rhomboids along each side of the plate, to meet the border at its lower edge. The ridged fields confine an inner rectangular field with a broad plain border. Within this lies a running guilloche which itself confines a further plain rectangular border. Within this lie three short central vertical ridges, flanked by a pair of short horizontal ridges to either side.

The concavo-convex mid bow bears three prominent vertical ridges, each 5mm wide. It springs from the outer edge of the rectangular guilloche component of the head. Each ridge bears a pair of finely incised – or emphasised by incision – vertical grooves, with plain sunken fields between them.

The lower part of the mid bow meets the upper edge of an expanded foot plate with a curving upper border. Opposed features project from this to either side, partially defined by opposed kidney-shaped apertures below them, and resembling the heads of raptors with their heads and curved beaks forming opposed curls. The beaks may be open, with their lower edges returning along the side of the aperture on either side. A groove runs around the outer side of each curl, with a gull-wing-shaped groove at the base of each head whose line is carried into the adjacent lower bow, where they form the outer edge of a central rhomboid form.

The lower bow or foot plate comprises a central rhomboid flanked by projecting flat circular plates or side lobes [diameter 21.7mm]. One [to the left] appears plain; the other bears a stippled sandy concretion – this does not appear to include textile imprints. The rhomboid is defined by four concave sides, with paired ridges flanked by gutters confining running guilloche along each side. A plain longitudinal bar stands in relief, and passes down the centre of the rhomboid, with a small pelta-shaped form at its top end. Between the bar and the guilloche sides lie opposed triangular fields, again composed of paired ridges with a central pellet in the centre of each triangle. Plain outer borders extend from the circular plates to either side, and a tiny [height 6mm] curled lappet is set on the border on the outer side of the lower part of the rhomboid, with a smaller [5mm] lappet at its end. The latter lappets lie at the edge of a plain discoid foot or terminal lobe of diameter 33.6mm.

Gilding appears extensively across the head plate, mid bow and lower bow, including its borders and lappets, but is not discernible on any of the three circular projections. The lappets reiterate the raptor head or beak motif noted as larger features at the upper edge of the lower bow.

The back of the brooch is flat, plain and undecorated, with only the line of outer edges and kidney-shaped apertures visible. Paired integral lugs behind the lower edge of the plate served as seat for an iron pin, now evidenced by rust between the lugs and particularly prominent above them to the left. A short [16mm] catch plate is set between these holes. This rises from an applied plain strip of length 59.4mm and width 5.4mm. with a flat rivet of diameter 3.6mm at its lower end. This is flanked by a pair of similar rivets set a little higher, within basal lobes of the foot plate which are masked by the terminal lobe when viewed from the front. It appears that the rivets were sited to attach this lobe as a replacement or repair piece.

The repair of the terminal lobe and other features are paralleled by FAKL-0F4D67, from Leasingham, Lincolnshire, near Sleaford – itself the site of an important inhumation cemetery. That brooch was assigned to Hines' (1997) Group XVI (16). Suggested date: Early Medieval, 525-570.

Length: 150mm, Width: 65.6mm, Thickness (at lower bow, across applied strip): 4.7mm, Weight: 130.04gms