Colchester Archaeological Report 2: The Roman small finds

Type 5. Pins with a groove or grooves below a
flattened spherical head (Fig 30; 491 -496). Six pins
of this type were found. They are paralleled at
Verulamium (St Albans, Hertfordshire; Waugh and
Goodburn 1972, fig 34, 59, 60) and Gadebridge Park,
Hertfordshire (Neal and Butcher 1974, fig 64, 218-
24). The type seems to belong in the 2nd century. One
example, 491, derives from material forming the
town rampart. There is no direct equivalent to this
type in bone, but the grooves below the head forming
false cordons are reminiscent of Type 2 bone pins,
which were also in production in the 2nd century.
492 Fig 30 SF BKC 111 (C), A55 F16. Town ditch fill. Anglo-Saxon
or Period 6. Bent into a hook, 118.0 mm long. One groove.
493 Fig 30 SF BKC 3018, J39 L1. Site clearance. Fragment,
42.0mm long. Two grooves.
494 Fig 30 SF BKC 4432(C), N504 L83. Occupation? Period 5b1.
Length 77.0mm. Two grooves.
Fig 30 Metal hairpins: Type 5 (1:1)
Miscellaneous (Fig 31; 497-513)
497 Fig 31 SF LWC 749, B323. Gravelled surface. Periods 3-5,
probably 5. Corroded, tip missing, bent, 79.0mm long. There
are three grooves round the shaft beneath a projecting
conical head which has irregularly-spaced incised lines
radiating from the point. This pin probably dates, with Type
5, to the 2nd century.
499 Fig 31 SF LWC 2087, J202 F100. Posthole. Post-Roman.
Fragment. 35.0mm long. Globular head covered with closeset
radiating incised lines. An incised line spirals part of the
way down the shaft from below the head.
500 Fig 31 SF LWC 3808(C), K521 F293. Pit. Medieval +? Bent,
105.0mm long. Conical head with five radiating incised
lines above two rings, the lower one of which is smaller in
diameter than the base of the head.
501 Fig 31 SF BKC 1333(C), E193 F70. Pit. Period 6. Cockerel,
very corroded, thin, 18.0 mm long. Probably the head of a pin
similar to Hawkes and Hull 1947, pl 100, 21.
503 Fig 31 SF BKC 2715(C), G434. c Periods 3 and 4. Very
30
corroded, 23.0mm long. Bust, possibly male. If so, a parallel
could be Wilson 1968, pl 43, 166.
504 Fig 31 SF BKC 2828, H320 F169. Trenches. Period 5c. Bent,
98.0mm long. Similar to Type 2, but thinner, and the
mouldings surmounted by an elongated cone with incised
lattice decoration. Motifs from the bottom upwards are
rectangular-section reel/reel/bead/reel/reel; circularsection
reel/cone.
505 Fig 31 SF BKC 4015(C), N79 L1. Topsoil. Modern. Bent,
85.0mm long. The head is a rhombohedron set on edge on
the shaft. The two upper faces are grooved, the front and
back and two lower faces have a marginal groove and are
pierced.
506 Fig 31 SF BKC 4444, N506 L84. Floor or make-up. Period
5b1. Silver. Fragment, 28.0mm long. Distorted head with
circular-section bead/baluster/bead.
507 Fig 31 SF BKC 4981(C), V68 L22. Dump. Late Period 5. Bent,
86.0 mm long. Possibly not a hairpin. Head plain, almost flat.
508 Fig 31 SF BKC 5024(C), V67 L5. Cultivated soil. Late Period
5. Bent, 103.0 mm long. There is a groove round the top of
the shaft, which tapers below a small bead.
509 Fig 31 SF BKC 4975(C), V71. Unstratified. Bent, 124.0mm
long. Cordon below a slight globular head.
511 Fig 31 SF BUC 451, C10 L4. Modern. Bent, 83.0mm long.
Similar to Type 2 but thinner and not surmounted by a
flattened sphere. Motifs from the bottom upwards are
circular-section reel; rectangular-section reel/reel/bead;
circular-section reel/small bead.
512 Fig 31 SF BUC 529, C1019 G342. Item of dress; on skull.
Period 2. Silver. In four fragments, 60.0mm long. The head,
a flanged boss, has a moulded relief flower design
surrounded by beading on the flange. The shaft and head
were soldered together but are now broken apart.
515- Fig 31 SF BUC 548, C1021. Unstratified. Bent, 104.0mm
long. The head resembles a narrow-necked lidded vase.
BEADS
Each type of bead represented is very briefly described.
The classification is loosely based on that of Beck
(1928). The types comprising bead necklaces and
armlets from graves in the Butt Road cemeteries are
listed in Appendix 2 on microfiche. Except where
stated otherwise, beads are pierced once. Date ranges
for types are given where possible. As the
overwhelming majority of beads comes from the 4thcentury
Butt Road cemetery, the catalogue does not
reflect the full date range of each type.
GADROONED BEADS
Melon beads (Fig 32; 514-541). These beads are
found in 1st- and 2nd-century contexts (Guido 1978,
100) and seem, on the evidence from our catalogue, to
have been introduced into this country at the
conquest. There is some slight indication that the
smaller the bead the earlier it is. Most are made of
turquoise frit, which often decays to white. Only one
example. Fig 32, 524, is of dark blue glass.
520 Fig 32 SF LWC 3429, J1212. Occupation. Period 2. Length
13.0 mm, diameter 15.0mm. Turquoise frit.
521 Fig 32 SF LWC3443, J1228. Floor. Period2. Length 12.0mm,
diameter 14.0mm. Turquoise frit.
524 Fig 32 SF LWC 3745, K434. ?Garden topsoil. Period 4b.
Length 22.0mm, diameter 29.0mm. Dark blue translucent
glass with many air bubbles.
Small gadrooned beads (Fig 32; 542). These beads
date to the middle third of the 4th century (ibid, 99).
542 Fig 32 SF BUC 327(C), B570/571 G109. Gravefill? Period 2.
Length 8.0mm, diameter 7.5 mm. Dark blue translucent
glass.