Unique Roman brooch discovered in Scotland to go on display for the first time

Tickets for Roman Scotland: Life on the Edge of Empire are available to book at nms.ac.uk/RomanScotland 
 

Press images are available here. 
 

The bronze brooch is unique in Roman Britain, fusing local and Roman design styles in an example of remarkable craftsmanship. Only 6cm long, it combines vibrantly coloured enameling with graceful curving metalwork.  
 

The enamel has been carefully laid out in tiny blocks to form alternating zig-zags in red and yellow. Scientific analysis suggests the surface was once coated with tin, creating a silvery sheen that would set off these bright colours. The shape and design of the elegantly decorated head are inspired by older traditions of Celtic art. 
 

The brooch was discovered in 2022 near Pathhead in Midlothian but was probably made in northern England. Craftworkers at the time took inspiration from brooches brought in with the Roman invasion and added local styles and tastes. This illustrates one of the ways communities adapted to the Roman conquest, creating objects that kept old habits alive in a changing world.  
 

Other archaeological finds suggest there was an Iron Age settlement in the area, with a community that engaged with Rome. Such a rare and valuable brooch is unlikely to have been available to buy or trade. It probably came into local hands as a treasured gift from the Roman world, given to influence a local leader and worn as a symbol of status and favour in the new regime. 

Dr Fraser Hunter, Principal Curator of Prehistory and Roman Archaeology at National Museums Scotland said:    

“The Pathhead brooch is a miniature masterpiece of craftworking and the details are exquisite. Fancy Roman pieces like this were unusual even at the time and were used to show off in local society. Whoever wore it would have been out to impress, and I’m sure visitors will be dazzled by it when they see it up close in Roman Scotland: Life on the Edge of Empire.”  

Roman Scotland: Life on the Edge of Empire will look at the experience of a frontier, from the soldiers who tried to conquer this land and the families and communities who lived around each military base, to the locals whose lives and lands were threatened by the Roman invasion, and who had to find ways to deal with this threat 

A key focus in the exhibition will be the fort of Inveresk, near Musselburgh in East Lothian. This had an extensive town around it and grew to become a major centre with a substantial population.  

 
Recent excavations have transformed our understanding of the site, highlighting its significance in the story of Roman Scotland. The fort was home to the world’s most northerly Mithraeum (temple to the god Mithras), and the exhibition’s centrepiece will be two spectacular altars from the temple, newly conserved and on display for the first time. Finds from the site will be displayed together for the first time, shedding new light on the Roman occupation in Scotland, demonstrating how this significant frontier outpost was supplied from across the Empire, and looking at the impacts this occupation had on the local population.  

The exhibition is made possible with the support of the Roman Scotland Exhibition Supporters Circle. 

A press release giving full details of the exhibition is available here.