File:Early Medieval possible brooch (FindID 520886).jpg

English: Fragment of an Early Medieval lead alloy item, possibly an annular brooch. The piece is about one fifth of a circle with irregular breaks at either end. It ios wide with only a small circle left in the middle. The inner and outer edges appear complete with a slight lip at the edges on the back, which is otherwise flat. The front is decorated with a raised interlaced design. To one side is a triple stranded long curve ending at one end in the break and at the other in a double transverse line with two opposing spirals rising from it. The inner spiral is a double curve ending in a point where there two lines meet. Below the inner spiral, between the main curve and the inner edge is another spiral with two shorter lines by it, it almost appears similar to a foot on Style I / II animal but could also be a bunch of grapes as seen on later vine scroll designs. It is 26.8mm long, 16.0mm wide and varies from 1.4 to 2.9mm thick at different points of the design; it weighs 3.49 grams. The alloy appears to have a substantial proportion of lead but the surface is unusual and it may be a lead-copper alloy or have been slightly burnt.

Kevin Leahy, National Adviser, Early Medieval Metalworkhas commented: The decoration is not early Anglo-Saxon and finds its best parallels in the eighth century on such things as the Acca Cross in Hexham. This bears vine scroll decoration which resembles what we see on this find. However, most of the lead brooches (when they can be dated) are tenth century. This fragment puts me in mind of some decorated lead from a site near York that I recorded pre PAS which also seemed to bear eighth century style motifs. I don't know of a parallel for the central hole. I would go for an eighth century date and describe it as a 'possible' brooch.