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10.07.2021

Bronze mirror

This mirror is believed to be from the Roman era, likely dating to the 2nd century AD. It was unearthed during excavations conducted by the archaeological section of the Winchester Museums Service on Victoria Road, Winchester, during the mid to late 1970s.

The mirror was discovered within a cremation burial site located in the cemetery near the north gate of Roman Winchester. Alongside this mirror, archaeologists found another mirror, three pottery vessels, a brooch, two beads (one made of glass and the other of amber), two cuffs (one made of ivory with a silver ring), a model of a wheel representing the Celtic god of heaven, Jupiter Taranis, and two glass jars designed for incense and food offerings, resembling pieces of pork or ham and lamb. The cremated remains were contained in a wooden box, and remarkably, the metal fittings on the box have endured almost 2,000 years of burial in the ground.

The handle of the mirror displays a similar design to two brooches found in another grave within the same cemetery. These brooches feature opposing dragons with fused muzzles. This particular style of ornamentation is primarily associated with the northern regions of England, which were once the tribal territories of the Parisi and the Brigantes. However, the mirror's relative simplicity suggests a later date than the brooches, likely placing it in the middle of the 2nd century rather than the end of the 1st century. It's possible that the individuals interred in these graves were related, possibly representing different generations within the same family.

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