Mária T. Biró: The Bone Objects of the Roman Collection. (Catalogi Musei Nationalis Hungarici. Seria Archeologica 2; Budapest, 1994)

II. CARVED BONE ORNAMENTS OF THE PROVINCIAL WEAR - 3. Dress pins (fibulae)

them that were actually decorative pins. Others were spindles. Sticks where both ends of the bone bear decorative lathe work and both ends are rounded in the shape of projecting globes were in fact spindles. One could not have used their blunt, global end as dress pins and about the middle of the sticks an 5-6 cm wide wear caused by the yarn wound around it can be well observed. The others must have been really dress pins. But in this case the lathe-processed astragalos motif is restricted to one end of the stick only while the other end, from the twothirds of the stick is smoothed flat. With this form the pin, like a blade could easily penetrate into the cloth and was at the same time less dangerous than a pin with sharp pointing. It is very striking that dress pins — as documented by pictures on vases — were often pinned up with the pointed end upwards. Of the three pins given as illustrations one is pierced into the cloak pointing downwards and two upwards. The pins with astragalos motif determined above as dress pins have come to the Collection from the following sites: Szőny, Almásfüzitő and Óbuda. Fig. 6. Reconstruction The other group of dress pins also fixed with thread or metal was similarly referred to so far as sewing needles. (Nos. 57-63. except 62.) This characteristic group of threeholed pins was reconstructed in my two earlier The type of dress pin where the safety of fastening was secured by a chain, thread or strap passed through it (No. 56.) instead of the size of the pin can be divided into two further groups. One type is decoratively carved but working with only one hole for passing. The finest piece from Szőny ends in a pine fruit and its leg is in its full length decorated by double circles and net-like patterns. In the bore of a similar specimen from Óbuda the remains of the bronze chain have survived. The plastically formed decorations on the leg of the pin prove that these pins were not used for sewing. (No. 62.) But even with undecorated variants the so-called eye of the needle is so wide that they were completely unfit for sewing.

59 And the surviving bronze chain definitely proves that this so-called classic sewing needle had a destination completely differing from the usual. We have but few data at our disposal to help their dating, but the carving from Szőny, on the basis of its decorative style, must have been made in the 4th century. of the use of dress pins contributions as dress pins, moreover, I consider them the most frequent type of Imperial-Age dress pins (Fig. 6.).

60 There occur in almost all Roman excavations three-holed pins where the central hole is somewhat longitudinal. They