File:Roman buckle and plate (FindID 706241).jpg

English: A copper alloy Roman buckle and plate of Hawkes and Dunning Type IA, dating to the period c. AD 350-425. The buckle and plate have become separated due to old breaks. The buckle measures 27.76mm in length, 20.27mm in width, is 2.72mm thick and weights 4.19g.

The buckle frame is D shaped and is decorated in the form of two dolphins facing each other with their mouths open. The space between the mouths of the dolphins serves as the pin rest and is slightly recessed. The decoration is symmetrical. The eyes of the dolphins are represented by a punched ring and dot motif and there is a line of punched dots running from the mouth of each dolphin down the body to the pin bar. The pin bar is narrowed and cylindrical in cross-section. There is a patch of iron staining mid-way along the length of the pin bar from the iron pin (now missing). The reverse of the buckle is flat and undecorated.

The buckle plate consists of an upper and lower plate. The upper plate measures 56.02mm in length, 18.97mm in width, is 0.92mm thick and weighs 5.47g. The plate is rectangular in shape with rounded corners. It exhibits two projecting lugs for the pin bar which terminate in old breaks. The gap between the lugs exhibits traces of iron staining from the missing pin. Behind each lug is a punched ring-and-dot motif with three annulets in a trefoliate formation in the space between. In the centre are six and a half lozenges, one above the other, six of which contain engraved cross-hatched lines. The half lozenge at the edge of the plate contains three incised chevrons with a single transverse groove in the centre. Each lozenge has an annulet at either side and there are two annulets either side of each join between lozenges. The longer sides of the outer face are decorated with two parallel grooves containing small, closely packed transverse grooves. There are two circular rivet holes sitting one either side of the final complete lozenge on the plate.

The lower plate measures 55.51mm in length, 17.69mm in width, is 0.72mm thick and weighs 3.79g. It exhibits tw projecting legs corresponding to the lugs on the upper plate which terminate in old breaks. The gap between the lugs exhibits traces of iron staining from the missing pin. There are two circular rivet holes in a corresponding position to the rivet holes in the upper plate.

Buckles such as these have been found during archaeological excavation and have been dated to from the late 4th to early 5th century. This is an example of Hawkes and Dunning's Type IA (1961, 41-45, fig 17), thought to be military in origin.