Description

Summary: 1 cast bronze square-headed brooch, the surface mercury gilded, and traces of an iron pin, highly decorated with stylised and animal designs, from Grave 21, from the pagan Saxon cemetery called 'Black Patch' at Blacknall Field, Pewsey, Wiltshire, excavated by Ken Annable and the Wiltshire Archaeological and Natural History Society, 1969-1976.

Research results

An Early Medieval gilded copper alloy square-headed brooch, found in Grave 21 of the cemetery at Blacknall Field, Pewsey, excavated by Ken Annable and the Wiltshire Archaeological and Natural History Society, 1969-1976. The brooch is one of three found with an woman aged around 40+. Twelve projecting human masks border the headplate which is decorated with Salin style I animals and a further mask at its base; animal heads flank the top of the foot plate, and adorn each end of the vertical median line, dividing two panels containing further style I animals, the lateral and terminal lappets of foot-plate contain rudimentary human masks. Traces of an iron pin survive.

This object was examined by Leah Moradi of the University of Exeter as part of her study investigating shamanistic and totemic practices and beliefs in fifth to seventh century Wessex and East Anglia through depictions of humans and animals on contemporary grave goods. Her study found that anthropo- and zoomorphic decoration was most often found with mature women between the ages of around 25 and 40, suggesting that some members of this group may have held a special status. She also notes that anthropomorphic depictions and the use of gold or gilding was more common in the wessex region, whilst depictions of certain animals, especially horses and birds, were far rarer; this may imply regional variation in belief structures, or the traditions of display through which they were presented.