File:Possible Roman ear-ring (FindID 201785).jpg

English: A copper alloy object which may be a Roman ear-ring. The object is in two parts; a wire loop and a thin disc with a hole punched in the centre. The loop is a piece of wire which has a right angle bend at one end. When found, this end of the wire was fitted into the hole of the disc. The rest of the wire forms a drop shaped loop and the other end finishes at the bend. It is more normal for the wire part of a Roman ear-ring to be hook shaped with one end treading through the ear and the other supporting the decorative part of the ear-ring, rather than forming a closed loop. However, this shape could have been caused by pre- or post-depositional damage. The ends of the wire are blunt and patinated to the same extent as the rest, suggesting that the loop is complete. The hooks of hanging ear-rings in the Allason Jones typology have pointed ends. The loop is 21.5mm long, 10.1mm wide and 6.2mm thick. The wire is circylar in section and has a diameter of 1.3mm.

The disc has a diameter of 14.4mm and is 0.75mm thick. It appears to once have been silvered on the side from which the hole was punched. The patina on the other face is different in the centre and may indicate where another element was fixed to or resting against the disc. The design seems to be similar to Allason Jones types 11 and 14, though there must have been another element that is now missing to fix the disc to the wire more securely.

It seems likely that this object is a Roman ear-ring, though it seems to be incomplete and does not fit neatly into Allason Jones’ typology. It has a deep green patina, which is browner where the object would have been silvered.