Bronze Four-Spiral Brooch

The brooch (fibula) is decorated with four metal spirals, held in place by a small pin hidden beneath a central boss. On the reverse, only part of the pin—used to fasten the brooch to the fabric—and the spring—allowing the movement of the pin—are preserved. The catch plate, which is the support where the pin engages when the brooch is closed, has a curved triangular shape.

Four-spiral fibulae are among the most characteristic finds of the Early Iron Age (c. 950–725 BC) in northern Calabria and Basilicata. These brooches were not used solely to fasten garments, but also served an important identity function: their shape, quality of workmanship, and decorative features could indicate the social role, gender, and cultural affiliation of the wearer. For this reason, they were often included in funerary assemblages accompanying the deceased in the grave.

This example comes from the necropolis of Agliastroso, located just outside Amendolara, which was probably the main burial area for the communities settled near the present-day Rione Vecchio between the 16th and the 8th century BC. The materials from the necropolis were not recovered through systematic excavations, but rather through occasional finds starting in the 1930s, later entering the private collection of Vincenzo Laviola. The lack of excavation documentation prevents us from reconstructing the precise archaeological context of the brooch, such as the specific burial or funerary assemblage to which it belonged.