Fibulae may best be understood as a type of brooch formed of a single piece of bronze, skilfully manipulated into a variety of motifs. Spirals, especially in gold, were commonly associated with the Sun in ancient European cultures, with a loose spiral representing the long days of summer and a tight spiral, the shorter days of winter. The Celtic spiral is a dynamic and popular symbol, indicative of endless movement and in use from the Neolithic period (circa 5000 BC). Bronze craftsmen continued to use the pattern during the Bronze Age, though more flamboyant and flatter spiral patterns were favoured. Such spiral themed items would have been placed amongst burial goods. From the early Bronze Age in Europe, burials became more individual, with the deceased laid to rest in individual, rather than communal, barrows. As a result, grave goods became more varied and personalised, including the jewellery worn by the deceased during his or her life.
To discover more about spirals in Celtic culture, please visit our relevant blog post: The Symbolism of the Spiral in Celtic Imagery.
