Lern Yer Brooches. Not Vikings at All.

 

Charles Edwin Puckett
(fair use for critique)

Charles Edwin Puckett, dealer of Akron, Ohoho, USA  is struggling to profit from portable antiquities. This is just bollocks:

Viking Omega Brooch c 8th - 10th century AD
 Bronze Fibula - VIKING Omega Brooch - Circa 8th-10th Century AD

(61 mm in Length – 2 3/8”)

A very fine Viking bronze “Omega “brooch (so called because of its resemblance to the Greek letter), embellished with a “dot and line” pattern. Remnants of the original silvering are visible. In excellent condition with a nice green patina and complete with the fastening pin. A similar brooch found in Norfolk, Great Britain is illustrated in Hattatt “Ancient Brooches,” figure 1688.

This wonderful Viking Age bronze brooch originated from Staraia Ladoga - Aldeigjuborg. On their journeys east, Viking ships sailed into the Gulf of Finland and up the river Neva to the huge Lake Ladoga and on to the mouth of the river Volkhov. Some kilometers up this river is the settlement Aldeigjuborg, known today as Staraia (Old) Ladoga. Finds from this area indicate a Scandinavian presence from as early as 750 AD. From an old Scandinavian collection, found as part of a hoard.

The fibula was in widespread use throughout the ancient world. Roman conquests spread the use of the fibula, which became the basis for more complicated brooches. In the severe climate of northern Europe, it routinely functioned as a fastening for a heavy cloak or tunic. The safety-pin type of fibula continued to be used up into the Middle Ages, serving both as decorative and functional elements.

Inventory# PA-3144 

All items are authentic and original as described - we do not sell reproductions. Each item is fully documented and in good antiquarian condition unless otherwise stated.

Here the old adage about never trusting an antiquities dealer further than you can throw one is well seen when you look up what Hattatt's fig 1688 actually looks like. NOT AT ALL like the series of brooches this comes from. Don't be a chump like Mr Puckett, read (Ásfríðr Úlfvíðardóttir 2012, 'The Mysterious “Omega” Brooches'). This is all true, so it is extremely unlikely that a piece of post-mdedieval jewellery found its way from a community 500km ESE of Moscow to an ealy medieval hoard near either of the Ladogas, 600 km to the NW of Moscow. Complete nonsense. The text in red about sprung bow fibulae of teh Roman period is totally empty-headed padding and has sod all to do with a penannular brooch.

So I want to ask the dealer how he can guarantee the object is "as described". What, specifically, is "Viking" and "8th century" about this piece? Eh? And "from Staraia Ladoga, found as part of a hoard"? Where is the documentation of that - and that the item was legally reported when found and disclaimed by the state? What is a "dot-and-line pattern" when at home? looks like this one has opposed triangular fields of pseudo-granulation (because cast) to me. Is this even the description of this object, or one cut-and-pasted from somewhere else? Bonkers. Yet, it was sold, somebody bought the pathetic amateurish spiel.