Early Roman bronze fibula, Kräftig type, Roman Empire, ca.1st-2nd century AD. This piece is mostly intact but has a small crack in the end of the body, with the pin intact. 51mm long, 21mm wide, 13.02 grams. Found in Hungary.A Fibula (Latin "to fasten") is an ancient brooch. Technically, the Latin term fibulae refers specifically to Roman brooches, however, the term is widely used to refer to brooches from the entire ancient and early medieval world that continue Roman forms. Unlike most modern brooches, fibulae were not only decorative, they originally served a practical function: to fasten clothes, including cloaks. Fibulae replaced straight pins that were used to fasten clothing in the Neolithic period and Bronze Age. In turn, fibulae were replaced as clothing fasteners in the Middle Ages by buttons. Their descendant, the modern safety-pin, remains in use today.