https://www.ukdfd.co.uk/templates/general_wide/img/logo.png UKDFD Recording Software https://www.ukdfd.co.uk/ Brooches https://www.ukdfd.co.uk/artefact/roman/brooches.html Colchester Two-Piece Brooch https://www.ukdfd.co.uk/artefact/roman/brooches/bow-brooches/colchester-two-piece-brooch-59179.html Tue, 10 Mar 2026 22:06:30 GMT Bow brooches Colchester Two-Piece Brooch  
Description:

A Colchester two-piece brooch of the early Roman period. It is of the type that has a double-pierced lug for the sprung pin mechanism, the lower perforation (now worn through) to hold the axis bar of the spring, and the upper one to secure the chord. It has short, flat wings and an undecorated bow that is mainly  D-shaped in cross-section, slightly arched, and tapers to a blunt foot. The sub-rectangular catchplate on the back of the bow survives; the sprung pin mechanism is missing.
Category: Roman, Brooches, Bow brooches
Category: Bow brooches
]]> Crossbow Brooch https://www.ukdfd.co.uk/artefact/roman/brooches/bow-brooches/crossbow-brooch-59162.html Sat, 28 Feb 2026 14:25:43 GMT Bow brooches Crossbow Brooch  
Description: An incomplete copper-alloy crossbow brooch of the late Roman period. Comprising the rectangular-section crossbow with three integral globular collared knobs located at the head and each end. A short section of the arched bow and the hinged pin survive.
Category: Roman, Brooches, Bow brooches
Category: Bow brooches
]]> Knee Brooch https://www.ukdfd.co.uk/artefact/roman/brooches/bow-brooches/knee-brooch-59151.html Thu, 26 Feb 2026 17:02:28 GMT Bow brooches Knee Brooch  
Description: An incomplete copper-alloy knee brooch of the Roman period. Comprising short, cylindrical wings which enclose the axis bar of the hinged pin, and a shallow semicircular headplate set above the bulbous, forward-facing bow. The lower leg with catchplate is missing; a portion of the hinged pin and the axis bar survive.
Category: Roman, Brooches, Bow brooches
Category: Bow brooches
]]> Colchester Two-Piece Brooch https://www.ukdfd.co.uk/artefact/roman/brooches/bow-brooches/colchester-two-piece-brooch-59124.html Mon, 26 Jan 2026 16:13:03 GMT Bow brooches Colchester Two-Piece Brooch  
Description:  A Colchester two-piece bow brooch of the early Roman period. It is of the type that has a double-pierced lug for the spring mechanism, the lower perforation to hold the axis bar of the spring, and the upper one to secure its chord. It has short, undecorated semi-cylindrical wings and a slightly arched bow, Decoration on the bow consists of a knurled median rib flanked on each side by a row of incised triangles. The spring mechanism, complete with its pin, remains in situ; the lower section of the bow that carried the catchplate is missing.
Category: Roman, Brooches, Bow brooches
Category: Bow brooches
]]> Strip Bow Brooch https://www.ukdfd.co.uk/artefact/roman/brooches/bow-brooches/strip-bow-brooch-59040.html Mon, 24 Nov 2025 19:59:42 GMT Bow brooches Strip Bow Brooch  
Description: A native British strip bow of the late Iron Age to early Roman period. The head is rolled over rearwards to hold the axis bar of the hinged pin. The bow is flat and decorated with three longitudinal knurled ribs, which cover approximately two-thirds of its length; the lower third tapers to a pointed foot. One half of the curled-over head and the remains of a triangular catchplate survive; the pin is missing.

Strip bow brooches are native British copies of continental types (Aucissa, Langton Down, and Hod Hill), and were probably first made a little before the Roman invasion. They continued to be made until the third quarter of the first century AD.
Category: Roman, Brooches, Bow brooches
Category: Bow brooches
]]> Polden Hill Brooch https://www.ukdfd.co.uk/artefact/roman/brooches/bow-brooches/polden-hill-brooch-59018.html Mon, 17 Nov 2025 20:25:08 GMT Bow brooches Polden Hill Brooch  
Description: An incomplete Polden Hill brooch of the early Roman period. The brooch is of characteristic Polden Hill form with pierced end plates on the wings to secure the axis bar for the spring, and a rearward-facing hook to retain the chord. The wings are short, semi-cylindrical, and without decoration. The bow has a pronounced dolphin-type hump, and over the head is a central triangular panel decorated with punched 'dashes'. The decoration extends to the break in the bow in a thin, sinuous, snake-like pattern between two finely incised grooves. There is further enamelled decoration of an undetermined colour on each side of the hump. The lower bow, catchplate, and spung pin mechanism are missing. The small semi-circle at the break suggests that the brooch may have had additional applied decoration.
Category: Roman, Brooches, Bow brooches
Category: Bow brooches
]]> T-Shape Brooch https://www.ukdfd.co.uk/artefact/roman/brooches/bow-brooches/t-shape-brooch-59008.html Thu, 13 Nov 2025 16:17:44 GMT Bow brooches T-Shape Brooch  
Description: A copper-alloy T-shape brooch of the Roman period. It has short cylindrical wings which enclose the axis bar of the hinged pin. The bow is arched, sub-triangular in section, and slightly angled at the head; it narrows to a sharp, pointed foot. A central longitudinal manually produced knurled rib occupies two-thirds of the bow with transverse grooves at each end. The triangular catchplate, part of the hinged pin, and the axis bar survive.
Category: Roman, Brooches, Bow brooches
Category: Bow brooches
]]> Trumpet Brooch, Fragment https://www.ukdfd.co.uk/artefact/roman/brooches/bow-brooches/trumpet-brooch-fragment-58849.html Sat, 13 Sep 2025 15:07:13 GMT Bow brooches Trumpet Brooch, Fragment  
Description: An incomplete Trumpet brooch of the Roman period. Comprising the head with what remains of the bow erupting from the surface, on the back of the head is the spring mechanism, which is carried on an axis bar that passes through a central lug and is extended at each end to form a swivelling chain loop with a separate clip. 
Category: Roman, Brooches, Bow brooches
Category: Bow brooches
]]> Polden Hill Brooch https://www.ukdfd.co.uk/artefact/roman/brooches/bow-brooches/polden-hill-brooch-58801.html Wed, 27 Aug 2025 18:09:49 GMT Bow brooches Polden Hill Brooch  
Description: A Polden Hill brooch of the early Roman period. The brooch is of characteristic Polden Hill form, with pierced end plates on the wings to secure the axis bar of the spring mechanism, and a pierced central lug to retain the chord. Approximately one-half of the spring, chord and axis bar survive, but the pin is missing. The wings are decorated at their outer ends with a narrow transverse groove flanked in turn by a cavetto moulding and a band of knurling. The bow has a median ridge and tapers to a narrow foot. The catchplate is solid and almost completely intact.
Category: Roman, Brooches, Bow brooches
Category: Bow brooches
]]> Disc Brooch https://www.ukdfd.co.uk/artefact/roman/brooches/plate-brooches/disc-brooch-58797.html Wed, 27 Aug 2025 15:32:53 GMT Plate brooches Disc Brooch  
Description: A small enamelled disc brooch of the Roman period. The brooch is flat with a raised rim and five pointed star-shaped pattern within, the rays of which terminate in small discs. There is also an additional small disc to the centre. The outer field contains the vestigial remains of dark blue enamel and there is a red infill to the centre of each terminal disc . On the back of the brooch the pin-lug and catchplate survive, but the pin is missing.

The central five-pointed star is uncommon, the majority of recorded examples being six-pointed, see UKDFD 57175. Also note DOR-D9A020
Category: Roman, Brooches, Plate brooches
Category: Plate brooches
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