https://www.ukdfd.co.uk/templates/general_wide/img/logo.png UKDFD Recording Software https://www.ukdfd.co.uk/ Roman https://www.ukdfd.co.uk/artefact/roman.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
]]> Gaming Counter https://www.ukdfd.co.uk/artefact/roman/miscellaneous/gaming-counter-45367.html Wed, 02 Jul 2014 00:00:00 GMT Miscellaneous Gaming Counter  
Description: A Roman period discoidal bone gaming counter, inscribed on one face with XLIIX - probably a variant form of 48.
Category: Roman, Miscellaneous
Category: Miscellaneous
]]> Gaming Piece https://www.ukdfd.co.uk/artefact/roman/miscellaneous/gaming-piece-59131.html Fri, 30 Jan 2026 17:05:59 GMT Miscellaneous Gaming Piece  
Description: A discoidal ceramic gaming piece made from a re-worked sherd of red-brown pottery. Both sides of the object have striations, those on one side resembling the Roman numeral III, but possibly decoration from the host object. The recorder notes that the piece was found at Roman Ancaster in a field littered with pottery sherds and directly next to the fort.
Category: Roman, Miscellaneous
Category: Miscellaneous
]]> 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
]]> Pin https://www.ukdfd.co.uk/artefact/roman/pins/pin-59036.html Mon, 24 Nov 2025 15:01:26 GMT Pins Pin  
Description: An incomplete copper-alloy hairpin of the Roman period. The surviving part of the pin consists of the head and the upper end of the shaft. The head is of flattened spherical form without decoration. The surviving length of shaft is straight, parallel and decorated with multiple circumferential grooves. It has broken at mid-length with no sign of bending.
Category: Roman, Pins
Category: Pins
]]> Awl https://www.ukdfd.co.uk/artefact/roman/miscellaneous/awl-59019.html Mon, 17 Nov 2025 20:48:42 GMT Miscellaneous Awl  
Description: A cast copper-alloy awl of probable Late Iron Age to Roman date (see below). The awl is cast in the form of a rod with differently shaped ends. The shorter end, approximately 45 percent of the length, is circular in cross-section and tapers to a point. The longer end is of flat rectangular cross-section and tapers to a rounded chisel edge. There is a distinct shoulder at the junction of the two sections and also a transverse groove across one flat face of the rectangular section. It is possible that the longer end simply furnished a tang, which was fitted into a wooden handle.

Tools of generally similar type have been found in contexts from the Middle Bronze Age onwards, but the recorder notes that several Roman coins and brooches were found in the same part of the field. A Late Iron Age to Roman date therefore seems most likely. 
Category: Roman, Miscellaneous
Category: Miscellaneous
]]> 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
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