What is a fibula in jewelry?

A fibula is a decorated fastening brooch which was used by the Romans to secure a robe on the shoulder. It is the ancient equivalent of a safety pin.

How was a Roman fibula worn?

Women wore the fibula both with the Amictus and the indutus; men wore it with amictus only. Its most frequent use was to pin together two parts of the scarf, shawl or cloak [Chlamys; Peplum; Pallium], which constituted the amictus, so as to fasten it over the right shoulder (Soph.

What is a Roman fibula brooch?

fibula, brooch, or pin, originally used in Greek and Roman dress for fastening garments. The fibula developed in a variety of shapes, but all were based on the safety-pin principle.

What were Roman brooches made of?

Roman brooches were made from a wide range of different substances including copper alloy and precious metals, sometimes with inlaid enamels, glass, semi-precious stones or a contrasting metal. They had a metal pin for attachment to clothes.

Who wore fibula?

They were widely used by the Germanic Visigoths, Ostrogoths, and Gepids, and the non-Germanic Slavs and Avars, and are found over a wide part of southern and western Europe in the 5th and 6th centuries AD.

What is the purpose of the fibula?

Structure and Function Unlike the tibia, the fibula is not a weight-bearing bone. Its main function is to combine with the tibia and provide stability to the ankle joint. The distal end of the fibula has several grooves for ligament attachments which then stabilize and provide leverage during the ankle movements.

Who wore Roman fibula?

Post-Roman fibulae They were widely used by the Germanic Visigoths, Ostrogoths, and Gepids, and the non-Germanic Slavs and Avars, and are found over a wide part of southern and western Europe in the 5th and 6th centuries AD.

What is a gold fibula?

Gold crossbow fibula (brooch) A.D. 286–305 or 306/7–308/9. Roman. On view at The Met Fifth Avenue in Gallery 169. This type of fibula, used to fasten a cloak around the neck, became part of the standard insignia of military personnel during the third century A.D.

How old is a Roman fibula?

The Straight Wire fibula is found through the 1st century AD. In the 1st century AD, for the first time, several fibula designs originated in Roman Britain.

Is the fibula useless?

Unlike the tibia, the fibula is not a weight-bearing bone. Its main function is to combine with the tibia and provide stability to the ankle joint. The distal end of the fibula has several grooves for ligament attachments which then stabilize and provide leverage during the ankle movements.