Broaching the Subject: Hybridised cultures behind the Bird and Sandal fibulae from northern Britain

So-called ‘Romano-British’ fibulae in the form of birds, ducks, or swans are some of the least understood brooches in the menagerie of zoomorphic fibulae. Whereas horses, rabbits, and dogs have been connected to gods and goddesses both Roman and Celtic, the duck, as yet, escapes explanation. In contrast, sandal brooches are explained either through a connection to travellers and traveller gods, or to the army. Whatever the iconography represents, the majority of historians agree that the brooches, which appear in the Roman era, are manifestations of a hybridized culture, change over time. This paper will explore the sandal and bird fibulae from Northern Britain, rethinking their meanings and what light they can shed on ‘Roman Britain’. Alex Mirošević-Sorgo (Cambridge University)