ROMAN PIN

43

A short copper alloy pin with a thick, tapering shaft (3.03mm diameter at centre) of faceted section. The head is elongated and piriform (greatest thickness 5.9mm), and there is a decorative collar, made up of four moulded linear ridges (one just below the head, and three grouped together 2.5mm further down the shaft). The overall impression is of a 'miniature spear'. This pin type probably dates to the Roman period, though its precise function (e.g. for fastening dress or hair) is unclear. It could also be a writing stylus, but one cannot be certain, given that the tip is no longer extant.