Disc fibula facts for kids
Imagine a fancy pin or brooch used to hold clothes together – that's a fibula! A disc fibula (or disc brooch) is a special type of fibula that has a round, flat, and often beautifully decorated part. People in Europe, especially during the Middle Ages (a long time ago!), used these pins. They were very popular, especially among the Anglo-Saxon people in England.
In Scotland, people continued to use these types of fastenings for a long time. Even in the 16th century, men wore silver "turreted" brooches on their shoulders. A famous example is the Brooch of Lorn.
Disc Fibulae in Europe
Many well-known disc fibulae come from a time called the Migration Period in Europe. This was a time when many different groups of people were moving around the continent. For example, disc fibulae have been found in places like Soest and Holle in Germany.
These round brooches were often part of women's clothing in Europe during the Early Middle Ages. Some were quite large, over 5 centimeters (about 2 inches) wide! Smaller ones were also worn by men, especially after the Carolingian era.
Many disc fibulae were made to look very fancy. They often had gold decorations with shiny gemstones, colorful enamel, or special patterns made by damascening (inlaying different metals). Sometimes, they were covered with thin layers of gold or silver. The famous Pliezhausen brooch was once the decorative top of a disc fibula. An older example from the Roman era is the Tangendorf disc brooch. The early medieval Maschen disc brooch even shows a figure with a glowing aureole, like a saint.
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Gold disc fibulae from the Sonnenbühl prince's burial mound (La Tène period)
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Alemannian disc fibula from the 6th century with almandine and bone inlays
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A pair of disc fibulae from the grave of Aregund, around the 6th century.
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Merovingian disc fibulae from the 6th and 7th centuries with gemstones and filigree.
Anglo-Saxon Brooches
In Anglo-Saxon England, these items are usually called "brooches." An early type is the quoit brooch, which used designs from late Roman art and was made from less expensive metals.
From the 7th century onwards, gold brooches with stones and detailed decorations became popular, similar to those found in Europe. Later, simple silver brooches became more common. These often had pictures of people or animals and sometimes used openwork (designs with cut-out spaces). Examples made of silver include the Fuller Brooch, the Strickland Brooch, and the Anglo-Scandinavian Ædwen's brooch.
We find more brooches from the early Anglo-Saxon period, before Christianity became widespread. This is because, at that time, people often buried expensive items like brooches with their dead. After Christianity arrived, this practice became less common.
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The Sarre Brooch, a 5th-century Kentish quoit brooch, at the British Museum.
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Anglo-Saxon brooch, found in Monkton, Kent.
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Brooch from the Pentney Hoard, in the Trewhiddle style.
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The Anglo-Saxon Fuller Brooch, from the 9th century.
