File:Roman Trumpet brooch (side, front and reverse views). (FindID 121599).jpg

English: The object is an incomplete Trumpet brooch which dates to the Roman period or 1st to 2nd century AD. It is made of cast copper alloy and is incomplete.

The head of the brooch is sub-oval in shape while the reverse is recessed. Surrounding the head is an angled border which flares outwards, and is decorated by a single incised line running around its perimeter. One side of the border is slightly damaged, where it has been crushed inwards. At the very top of the brooch is a single projection. According to Hattatt (Hattatt, R. 1987. Brooches of Antiquity. Oxbow: Oxford, p.130) the projection was used to prevent a swivelling chain loop from falling out of line. The chain loop however, is now missing. On the reverse of the head, in the upper part, is a single reward facing lug with a downward facing protrusion directly below it. The brooch has a cast copper alloy sprung pin with an internal cord which is held by the protrusion. A fragment of the pin is still attached to the head. The rest is missing. A small patch of gold material is also visible on the spring. Possibly the spring may have been gilded, however the area concerned is so small that it is impossible to say.

Looking at the front of the brooch in plan, the upper part of the bow is decorated by a single median rib which runs longitudinally down it. The rib starts on the bow head, where it is flanked on either side by two traverse incised grooves which run around the perimeter of the head. The base of the rib is flanked by a pair of incised lines, located at alternate angles to one another. Less than halfway down the bow is a central flange, which is flanked above and below by subsidiary flanges. The decoration does not continue around the reverse of the bow, which is flat. The leg, which is D-shaped in cross-section, is decorated by four longitudinal incised lines. Two lines, located adjacent to one another run down the centre of the bow leg, following the same line as the rib on the upper part of the bow. The other two lines are located along the edge of the bow leg. The base of the leg is decorated by a single traverse rib which runs around the perimeter. The foot is trapezoid shaped in plan, flaring out at the base. It is decorated by a single traverse groove running around the perimeter. The base of the foot is recessed with a pronounced rib in the shape of a ring in its centre. The centre of the ring is also recessed. It is possible that the ring originally held some form of decorative foot knob.

The catchplate is sub-triangular in profile and extends the full length of the lower leg. It is decorated by two inset grooves which form a faint V-shape. The brooch has a folded pin rest.

The brooch is heavily abraded and in a poor condition. The brooch is light green in colour with a patchy patina which is dark green. The length of the brooch from upper edge of the head to the foot is 52.6mm, the width across the head is 14.4mm, the thickness at the head is 16.6mm and the weight is 12.60g. A brooch which is similar to the recorded object can be seen in Hattatt (1987, fig.42; no.947). The example however is slightly different in that it does not have a projection like the recorded object, and the foot is slightly different.