The tetraskelion, also known as grammadion or most commonly swastika, is a common geometric symbol in all Indo-European cultures from the Neolithic onwards, appearing alone or in an artistic composition on a large number of artefacts. Such symbol has been used by the Ancient Greeks, Celts, and Anglo-Saxons and some of the oldest examples have been found in Eastern Europe, from the Baltic to the Balkans. The swastika has always been interpreted by ancient cultures and civilisations as a symbol of the sun moving in the sky, representing prosperity, life and good luck. During the late Celtic La Tene period, especially in Gaul and Britannia, the swastika undertook a sensible transformation in its form, displaying a zoomorphic nature, as shown in this fine example.
To learn more about the different types of fibulae, visit our relevant blog post: Roman and Celtic Fibulae.