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XXI
The head is the end of the fibula where the pin is articulated by either spring or hinge. There are seven spring connection categories:
The spring winds around to one side only of the pin. It does not cross over the bow, and pin, and continue winding on the other side. They may wind in one, two or more rarely three, four or more loops. They tend to be earlier than similar bi-lateral types.
Early
bow fibula were made from one piece of bronze. The entire fibula
from
the catch, to the bow, to
the spring, to the tip of the pin was created
by shaping and bending a
single piece of bronze with great expertise and
skill. The pin extends
from the end of a spring consisting of one or more loops, usually four.
The spring tendon (the wire connecting the two ends of the spring wraps under the bow. The tension of the spring
helps keep the pin in place. The wire foot (a-b below) is the most
common pin catch/holder. The
solid foot is a late
development. One-piece construction was rapidly abandoned in the mid 1st century A.D. but some types may date as late as 300 A.D.
Feugere, M. Les fibules en Gaule meridionale de la conquite a la fin du Ve sicle apres J.-C. (Paris, 1985). Available Online
Image:
This Dacian type bent-foot fibula has a short bilateral spring. It has
three loops per side for six total. The spring-chord passes under the
bow and is thus an internal chord.
Image:
This fibula, a Germanic-variation of the Knee type, has a very wide
bilateral spring. It has nine loops, or winds, on each side for a total
of 18, and has small spherical knobs on the ends of the hinge pin. The
spring-chord passes over the bow, where it is secured by a hook on the
plaque on the end of the bow, and is thus an external chord.
The bilateral spring is partially, or mostly, covered with a housing, often cylindrical in form.
Image: This knee fibula has a bilateral spring covered by a cylindrical housing. (SC Collection)
Image: An underside view of the knee fibula shown in the image above. The bilateral spring, with 9 or 10 winds, is almost entirely contained in the cylindrical housing. (SC Collection)
The fibula pin is a separate piece from the bow and turns around an axis-pin. The pin has no tension. The ends of the axis-pin may be held by simple bends, hammering the end flat (like a rivet), or with the addition of knobs, although sometimes it is only held in by a tight fit. The axis-pin may be made from copper-alloy or more commonly from iron.
The head of the bow is folded over (hand-forged by a smith). There is a small lateral channel in this fold for the axis-pin.
The bow head is folded under so that the end can not be seen while the fibula is worn.
Image: This image of the back of the head of a broken Wolf type fibula shows where the head has been folded under to create a lateral channel for the hinge-pin. Though it can 't be seen in this photo the hinge-pin is still rusted in place. A small part of the copper-alloy fibula pin is still in place though it is broken off close to the hinge. (SC Collection)
Hinge Folded Over
More rarely the bow head is folded forward and the end can be seen at the front of the fibula.
Image: The head of this Wolf type fibula was folded up over the front of the head to form a lateral channel for the axis-pin. The end is thus visible on the front of the head (right side of photo). (SC Collection)
The head is cast with a molded lateral channel for the axis-pin. This is more common than the folded type.
Image: This Hrusica fibula has a lateral channel for the axis-pin molded into the design. The two ends of the axis-pin are secured by a pair of large knobs. (SC Collection)
A wide transverse bar, making a T-form at the head of the fibula contains a notch. These fibulae have a cross-bow shape. The flattened end of the pin, with a hole in it, is inserted into this notch. A long axis-pin runs through a hollow channel in the transverse bar and fixes the pin in place. The axis-pin may be held in by knobs at the ends of the transverse bar or not.
In some very late crossbow fibulae (Keller/Pröttel type V and VI) the pin is held in place in the transverse bar by the end of a one of the knobs (usually the left knob with the fibulae head facing upwards). This knob extends into a long pin. The upper part is threaded and screws into female threads in the hollow channel in the transverse bar. The lower part of this pin is pointed and goes through the hole in the flattened end of the fibula pin.
A few early Greek and later Phrygian fibula types use a pivot instead of a spring or hinge.