Roman Brooch

A comprehensive landscape project took place at Bullock Down in 1982 and revealed incredible stories, objects and archaeological features from multiple periods of history. This brooch was one of the hundreds of finds uncovered through this project and although a small object, is another piece of the puzzle telling us about life on the Downland in Roman Eastbourne. 

The Roman farmers living in the settlement at Bullock Down were carrying out a mixture of arable and sheep farming and were probably responsible for at least 7 buried coin hoards found near their homes. These hoards buried in large clay pots, copper bowls or bronze or brass buckets were filled with coins collected over a number of years. This could suggest that these hoards contained the farmers savings, buried to keep it safe or perhaps they are votive offerings to the Gods? The fact that seven coin hoards were never recovered by the Roman residents who buried them may make this the most likely option.

When this brooch was made in the 2nd Century, Beachy Head Woman may have been living in Eastbourne, she may have known its owner, it could even have been her brooch. Although we now know more about her life and what she looked like, we don’t know where she lived. It could have been in the farming community at Bullock Down or in the Villa whose foundations lie underneath the Seafront.   

Fragments of flue tile found at Bullock Down, dating to 75 - 110AD match complete flue tiles recovered from the site of Eastbourne’s Roman Villa. These patterned tiles are unlikely to have been used in the farmstead buildings at Bullock Down so could have been brought there as rubbish or part of manure used on their fields.