Description

Summary: 1 leaded bronze square-headed brooch, with mercury gilded surface, Kenish type with chip-carved animal ornament, from Grave 19, 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

A Gilded copper alloy square-headed brooch, with a mercury gilded surface, found with the burial of an older adult, probably a woman, in grave 19 of the Blacknall Field Cemetery, Pewsey, excavated by Ken Annable and the Wiltshire Archaeological and Natural History Society, 1969-1976. The brooch is decorated in the ultimately continental Salin's style I, and depicts a number of highly stylised animals: with one in the centre of the headplate, and a further two at the top of the headplate.

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.