Find Spot record MDO19155 - Bronze Decorated Pin from Dorchester

A large highly ornamented bronze pin discovered in Dorchester 'some years' prior to 1880. It is thought to be a hair pin of Roman date.

'This large pin is a puzzle, it is 7.25 in. long, but has probably been 9 in. The shaft is 0.25in. thick . At 3 in. from the head, there is (apparently an original part of the shaft) a narrow, flat, lozenge-shaped piece of bronze attached to the shaft. The lozenge is 1.625 in. long. Opposite the lower end of the lozenge is a small eye. Down to this eye the shaft is covered with engraved ornament, mostly chevron, very shallow and delicate. The flat head, 1.125 in. across is extraordinary. Undernteath it is plain. Above it is adorned with concentric ornaments in relief. Outermost is a circle of small conical projections, then one of ten little circular fillets, then two fillet concentric circles, and in the middle a little cone. This very strange object is though to be a hair pin. The eye may be for a string to keep it in place. As regards size, it may be noted that at Coblenz there are, or of late years have been, in use, hair pins quite as long, or very nearly so, but flat. They are called Pfeile.' (1). No find spot, other than 'Dorchester' is recorded for this object, although it is said to have been 'discovered' by Canon Bingham (2)

Record last edited

Aug 28 2008 4:10AM