#FindsFriday Bone pin

For this #FindsFriday, we have an excellent example of a Roman bone pin!🦴

Dating from the late 3rd century onwards, and excavated in central Colchester, this would have been used to secure the elaborate up-do of a Roman woman. 💇

The length of pins varied according to the requirements of certain hairstyles: the one pictured measures 8.5cm. It was likely hand carved, and would have been produced either in the home or in a workshop.

Pin designs ranged from rather plain to very intricately decorated, with head types that mimicked more expensive metal and jet pins. It also seems this bone pin was stained green in imitation of the copper-alloy pins 👀

Written by work experience student Rosie.