Brooch

Disc brooch of Avent class 1.2. The brooch is silver gilt, 4 garnets, a shell in its centre, zig-zag niello border, iron pin. Four triangular cells set with flat garnets radiate from the central shell Between them are the chip-carved style decoration known as of Style I: helmet' heads, inside a sub-square frame. The flat rim is decorated with two rows of nielloed triangles. The brooch has very littlewear. On back there is the usual attachment for missing pin and spring-coil, broken catchplate. The iron rust suggests that the pin was probably iron. This brooch was part of the goods from a female burial and was found around the neck position of the skeleton. Grave goods included a necklace of glass and amethyst beads, silver wire rings, an openwork belt-plate, a buckle, knife and chatelaine with toilet instruments. The tremissis of Justinian I was dated to 570 AD and helps with dating this brooch to the late 6th century although the Avent class 1.2 brooches are a continuation of the previous class 1.1 dated to the end of second quarter of the 6th century and perhaps continuing until the late 6th century.