Description

Summary: 1 bronze La Tene I fibula, coil slightly damaged, dotted decoration over boss, from near Warminster, almost certainly meaning Cold Kitchen Hill, Brixton Deverill, Wiltshire.

Research results

An early Iron Age brooch purchased from an antiques dealer in 1977, reportedly found near Warminster, Brixton Deverill, probably refering to Cold Kitchen Hill. The brooch is of an early Iron Age form, although precise dating evidence is poor. The form was probably in use during the 4th and 3rd centuries, although the earliest examples may be earlier and it may have remained in use for longer.

This brooch was examined by Adams (2013) as part of her PhD with the University of Leicester. This PhD examined an updated corpus of Iron Age Brooches across Britain in order to re-evaluate existing typologies and widely accepted chronology, as well as to investigate potential regional patterns and production. In particular the study highlights that direct dating evidence for most brooches is in fact quite poor, despite them often being used as chronological markers in the period. Reviewing all published radiocarbon dates associated with Iron Age brooches, Adams suggests that brooches were first introduced c. 450 BC, as well as refining the chronology of a number of specific types, although they note that the evidence is scarce.