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Late Roman / Early Byzantine Christian Cross Belt Buckle Plate (3.7cm)
Authenticity & Guarantee
Item Specifications
Object: Cast Bronze Hinge-Mounted Belt Buckle Plate / Baldric Strap Fitting
Culture / Period: Late Roman Empire to Early Byzantine Period (Christian Empire Era)
Date Range: Circa 4th Century AD – 6th Century AD
Dimensions: 3.7 cm length (37 mm)
Material: Solid Cast Bronze (Copper Alloy)
Form & Architecture: Tapered openwork plate featuring a central suspended Christian Cross / Bottony Cross element within an openwork frame; upper squared header decorated with incised geometric hatching and punched ring-and-dot marks; retains top hinge loops and reverse attachment hook/stud
Condition: Exceptional complete archaeological state. Original hinge prongs intact, heavy reverse hook fully preserved, crisp surface tooling, and coated in a dark olive-green bronze patina with pale-tan desert-earthen encrustation.
Historical Context & Military / Civilian Belt Accoutrements
Late Roman Military & Official Belts (Cingulum Militare)
During the 4th to 6th centuries AD, ornate hinged buckle plates and baldric strap fittings were key elements of military uniform and civil administrative dress across the Roman East (Ref: Sommer, Die Gürtelgeschnallen der Römischen Kaiserzeit, Mainz, 1984; Stephenson, Romano-Byzantine Infantry Equipment, Tempus, 2006).
Christianization of Personal Equipment
Following Constantine's legalization of Christianity and the establishment of Constantinople, military personnel and high-ranking civilians integrated explicit Christian symbols—such as the openwork cross and St. Andrew's saltire—into their personal belt fittings and scabbard suspensions as protective talismans and public professions of faith.
Typological Analysis & Exact Classification
Exact Typological Classification
Primary Class: Hinged Openwork Belt Buckle Plate / Baldric Strap-End
Sub-Class: Tapered Openwork Christian Cross Type (Propugnaculum / Christianized Military Class)
Mounting Type: Dual Top Hinge Loops with Reverse Locking Stud/Hook
Comparable Archaeological Examples & Museum Accession Numbers
British Museum (Accession No. 1982,0503.12): Late Roman / Early Byzantine bronze openwork buckle plate with Christian cross motif.
Metropolitan Museum of Art (Accession No. 17.190.142): 5th–6th century Byzantine copper-alloy belt fitting with openwork cross decoration.
Ashmolean Museum (Accession No. AN1970.1042): Late Roman military belt plate with reverse attachment hook.
TRN-1-4
