brooch

A beautiful responsive image
A beautiful responsive image

Description

Summary: 1 pair of Early Saxon leaded bronze applied saucer brooches with surface mercury gilding, convex in shape, pins missing with remains of fabric adhering to one, surface decoration only partially remains but is of a chevron and zoomorphic design, 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 pair of Early Medieval copper alloy applied saucer brooches found with the burial of a young woman in grave 60 of the Blacknall field cemetery, Pewsey, excavated by Ken Annable and the Wiltshire Archaeological and Natural History Society, 1969-1976. The brooches are decorated in the Scandinavian Salin Style I, and depict stylised animals within the inner circle.

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.


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Copyright: Wiltshire Archaeological and Natural History Society