EARLY MEDIEVAL BROOCH

500

An unusual copper alloy radiate headed brooch dating to the sixth century AD. The brooch possesses a flat semi-circular head plate with small head knob. The upper surface of the plate is decorated. The decoration comprises a central circular ring and dot motif and a circumferential border of stamped circles. At the base of the head plate are two semi-circular extensions. On the underside of the headplate there is a single semi-circular lug with with circular perforation. The bow is arched and approximately D shaped in section with some faceting. A flat foot plate extends from the bow. Although the foot plate is broken, it appears to be sub-trapezoidal in shape with curving sides. The upper surface is decorated. The decoration comprises two marginal grooves which respect and encircle two circular perforations. On either side of these grooves are lines of stamped circles. On the underside of the foot plate is a large rectangular foot plate. The brooch measures 49mm in length and 19mm in width.This brooch bears some resemblance to an incomplete brooch from Grimston (HER 13800, published in Ashley and Rogerson (1992), 361-2, no.4), as well as other brooches on the PAS database. KENT3392, for example, has been classed as a miniature radiate-headed brooch, due to its semi-circular headplate which is similar to those on Frankish radiate-headed brooches. However, the headplate on this brooch form does not have the radiating knops which give the radiate-headed brooches their name. Continental brooches of a similar form have been termed 'miniaturefibeln' or miniature brooches. A further study on these small semi-circular headed brooches is needed to understand their relationship with other brooch forms from this period. Barry Ager of the British Museum comments: 'The loss of half of the foot-plate of the Pampisford brooch makes it a bit difficult to be entirely certain. But the animal heads at the top of the plate and the way in which the lower sides of the head-plate curve inwards like a horseshoe suggest a connection with Scandinavian radiate-headed brooches rather than with continental ones, for example the Style I-decorated brooches from Ösby and ?Öland, Sweden, and less closely Skjervum, Norway (T. Sjøvold, 1993, The Scandinavian Relief Brooches of the Migration Period, Oslo, pls. 27, S42-S43, and pl. 33, N58) ("relief brooch" seems rather a vague term covering square-headed ones, too, so I've avoided it here).'