English: A fragment of a copper alloy dragonesque brooch dating from 75 - 175 AD. The head and foot are missing, as is the pin. The body of the brooch is formed from an S shape, both terminals are well worn. The front surface is decorated with a raised central grid of four squares, with two curved triangles at either side. These raised border would have been infilled with enamel, traces of which an still be seen, but it is badly worn. The reverse is undecorated and pitted. The metal is a mid brownish-green colour.

Bayley and Butcher comment that the Flavian period (AD69-96) sees the virtual disappearance of imported brooches and the proliferation of types produced in Britain, including the dragonesque brooch, continuing into the second century (2004, p.207). Celtic design, as on this brooch, is seen on some dragonesque brooches and other material culture of the period (see Fraser Hunter, 2008, "Celtic art in Roman Britain"). Hunter comments that: "Celtic art did not die with the coming of the legions" (p.129). He adds that, "...rather than expressing any-non Roman or non-military identity, or being a rejection of Rome - its prevalence in military contexts suggests instead it played a role in forging a new identity - that the army became linked to a wider frontier culture. The material adapted to these circumstances, changing and responding to changed times to decorate new objects and create new forms of material culture."