Thursday 31 January 2008

Builders dig up 35 skeletons

BUILDERS working on the site of a new school have stumbled across what could be one of the most historic finds ever unearthed in Doncaster.

Archaeologists have confirmed that an ancient burial site containing 35 graves could date back to the days when the area was occupied by Saxons then Vikings.

The exciting find comes seven years after the discovery of the grave of a Viking woman who tests showed had travelled to Doncaster from Norway as an immigrant, proving for the first time that Vikings had settled in the area.

The latest discovery, in the grounds of North Doncaster Technology College in Adwick le Street, is believed to be the only one of its kind in South Yorkshire and is attracting interests from archaeologists across the region.

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Tuesday 29 January 2008

TREASURE LINK THEORY

Treasures unearthed from a giant Anglo-Saxon burial ground in the North East of England could have originated in Lincolnshire.

Archaeologists have spent two years excavating a site at Loftus, near Middlesbrough, which is now thought to be a 'nationally significant' royal cemetery dating back to the 7th century.

Among the jewellery, pottery and weapons discovered were two silver coins which would have been worn as pendants.

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Wednesday 23 January 2008

Anglo-Saxon treasures will stay in region - vow

STUNNING Anglo-Saxon jewellery discovered on a North-East farm will not be lost to the British Museum, in London, it was pledged yesterday.

The Government quashed fears of a battle to display the Loftus Saxon treasures to parallel the bitter row over the Lindisfarne Gospels.

Instead, Culture Minister Margaret Hodge vowed that the collection, found at a burial site uncovered last year near Loftus, east Cleveland, would go on show in a North-East museum.

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Tuesday 22 January 2008

MP in plea over ancient treasure

Rare Anglo-Saxon treasures discovered in a Teesside field will almost certainly be allowed to remain in the area, the government has said.

Gold jewellery, weapons and clothing were found at a 109-grave cemetery, near Redcar, believed to date from the middle of the 7th Century.

Excavations were carried out after freelance archaeologist Steve Sherlock studied an aerial photo of the land.

Culture Minister Margaret Hodge said the find would not end up in London.

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Sunday 20 January 2008

Archaeologists unearth ancient pits

ARCHAEOLOGISTS preparing the ground for a new building at an Anglo-Saxon village have discovered the remains of three pits dating back 1,500 years.

The unexpected find, at the site in West Stow, near Bury St Edmunds, was made during preparation work for a new timber construction that will be home to heritage displays and study facilities when it opens in the summer.

It is now hoped that a mysterious black substance in the pits will help answer age-old questions about their purpose, and give a better understanding of Anglo-Saxon life.

“The process of revealing West Stow's Anglo Saxon past is fascinating,” said Alan Baxter, heritages services manager at St Edmundsbury Borough Council, which owns the site.

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Archaeologists unearths buried treasure

A FREELANCE archaeologist has unearthed one of the most dramatic finds of Anglo Saxon materials within an ancient burial ground in the North-East.

The Royal Anglo-Saxon cemetery - with some of the finest gold jewellery to be found in Britain - has been discovered on land in Loftus, east Cleveland.

The 109-grave cemetery is arranged in a rectangular pattern and dates from the middle of the 7th Century.

The cemetery, bed burial and high status objects are considered to all indicate the people buried must have connections with Anglo-Saxon royalty.

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Royal burial ground unearthed

A royal Anglo-Saxon burial ground and some of the finest gold jewellery ever unearthed in the country has been discovered by a freelance archaeologist.

The 109-grave cemetery is arranged in a rectangular pattern and dates from the middle of the 7th Century.

The cemetery, bed burial and high status objects are considered to all indicate the people buried must have connections with Anglo-Saxon royalty.

Traditionally, Anglo Saxon royalty were always buried in the south of England and it is thought the royals buried at the Cleveland site could be linked to the Kentish Princess Ethelburga who travelled north to marry Edwin, King of Northumbria.

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'Dramatic' ancient cemetery found

A freelance archaeologist has uncovered what is thought to be the only known Anglo-Saxon royal burial site in the north of England.

Spectacular gold jewellery, weapons and clothing were found at the 109-grave cemetery, believed to date from the middle of the 7th Century.

Excavations were carried out after Steve Sherlock studied an aerial photo of the land near Redcar, Teesside.

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English were dedicated followers of French fashion 1,400 years ago

The British, it seems, have assiduously followed European fashion trends for years. It now turns out that it may have been for centuries.

Stylish Anglo-Saxon women, for example, wore front-fastening coats clasped with brooches that were common on the Continent at the time and would not be completely out of place on the catwalks of Paris today.

Penelope Walton Rogers is an archaeologist who has undertaken a significant study of Anglo-Saxon graves and settlements and come up with some surprising findings.

Evidence pieced together from more than 1,700 graves shows that followers of fashion in the middle of the 6th century wore outfits typical of northern France and territories west of the Rhine.

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English were dedicated followers of French fashion 1,400 years ago

The British, it seems, have assiduously followed European fashion trends for years. It now turns out that it may have been for centuries.

Stylish Anglo-Saxon women, for example, wore front-fastening coats clasped with brooches that were common on the Continent at the time and would not be completely out of place on the catwalks of Paris today.

Penelope Walton Rogers is an archaeologist who has undertaken a significant study of Anglo-Saxon graves and settlements and come up with some surprising findings.

Evidence pieced together from more than 1,700 graves shows that followers of fashion in the middle of the 6th century wore outfits typical of northern France and territories west of the Rhine.

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Cathedral's Anglo-Saxon angel aired

THE 1,300-year-old carved figure of an Anglo-Saxon angel unearthed during excavations at Lichfield Cathedral was yesterday unveiled.

The 63cm-high stone sculpture, dubbed the Lichfield Angel, was discovered by archaeologists beneath the nave in the remains of an Anglo-Saxon church built to house the grave of St Chad, the first Bishop of Lichfield.

The exact location of this building had remained a mystery until it was unearthed during this most recent dig.

Archaeologists were asked to excavate the nave ahead of the installation of a motorised platform to replace portable staging used for concerts.

Experts believe the Lichfield Angel formed part of the original shrine of St Chad, which was built around AD700, and was part of a panel believed to depict the Angel Gabriel greeting the Virgin Mary with news she was to have a son.

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Anglo-Saxon gold coin leaves British Museum out of pocket

A gold coin lost 1,200 years ago on a river bank in Bedfordshire became the most expensive British coin when it was bought by the British Museum for £357,832 yesterday.

A little smaller than a pound coin in diameter and much thinner, the glittering mancus, the value of 30 days' wages for a skilled Anglo-Saxon worker, now ranks among the museum's most valuable artefacts.

Experts described the coin as "the find of the last 100 years".

But the museum is angry at the size of its outlay, claiming that it should have been able to acquire it for two thirds of the price, and has called for reforms to art export laws.

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Anglo-Saxon finds in church work

An ancient church in East Sussex has been found to be 100 years older than was thought after restoration work uncovered hidden windows and paintings.

The original construction of St Andrew's Church, at Bishopstone, near Seaford, is now being dated back as far as the late 7th Century.

A four-year project costing £115,000 gave the church its first major restoration since the 1840s.

Anglo-Saxon finds were made when old plaster was removed from the walls.

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EXPERTS FIND RARE ROMANI DNA IN NORWICH ANGLO SAXON SKELETON

Experts from Norfolk Archaeology Unit based at Norwich Castle have discovered a rare form of mitochondrial DNA identified as Romani in a skeleton discovered during excavations in a large area of Norwich for the expansion of the castle mall.

The DNA was found in an 11th century young adult male skeleton, and with the first recorded arrival of the Romani gene in this country put at 500 years later, historians may need to re-think the ethnic mix of the city's early population.

Norfolk Archaeological Unit’s lead archaeologist on the dig was Brian Ayres. He told the 24 Hour Museum: “The bones were of a late Saxon Christian. We know this because it was found in a graveyard associated with the church.”

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'Apartheid' slashed Celtic genes in early England

A system of racial segregation imposed by early Anglo-Saxon invaders in England may have massively boosted the breeding of the Germanic interlopers, much to the detriment of the native Celtic race, researchers claim in a new study.

Genetic analysis of men in modern-day central England shows that more than half of them possess a Y-chromosome that can be traced to a Germanic region – what is now Germany, Holland and Denmark.

Historians argue that fewer than 200,000 Anglo-Saxons invaded the population of about 2 million Celtic Britons during the 5th century. All things being equal, this number should account for just 10% of the gene pool being Anglo-Saxon.

In an attempt to explain this anomaly, Mark Thomas at University College London, UK, and colleagues came up with a theory that an apartheid social structure benefited the people - and therefore the genes - of the Anglo-Saxon race at the expense of the native Celtic genes.

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Britain's hoard of ancient coins

The British Museum today unveils the most expensive coin in history. The ninth-century coin depicts Coenwulf, the ruler of the Anglo-Saxon kingdom of Mercia from 796 to 821, and it is thought to be the oldest example of gold currency commemorating a British ruler - which helps to explain why the museum paid £357,832 to the anonymous person who found it near Bedford in 2001.

"It's completely unprecedented," says Gareth Williams, the museum's curator of early medieval coinage. "The most expensive single British coin before this was a gold penny of Henry III, which went for something like £145,000."

The British Museum today unveils the most expensive coin in history. The ninth-century coin depicts Coenwulf, the ruler of the Anglo-Saxon kingdom of Mercia from 796 to 821, and it is thought to be the oldest example of gold currency commemorating a British ruler - which helps to explain why the museum paid £357,832 to the anonymous person who found it near Bedford in 2001.

"It's completely unprecedented," says Gareth Williams, the museum's curator of early medieval coinage. "The most expensive single British coin before this was a gold penny of Henry III, which went for something like £145,000."

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Skeleton crew digs up the past

THE skeleton of an Anglo-Saxon lord has been recovered as the hunt for buried treasure continues at a city allotment site.

The removal of the seventh Century body follows the discovery of a rare ceremonial brass bowl on the site at Palmerston Road, Woodston, Peterborough.

The priceless Coptic bowl, which was made more than 1,300 years ago in the Mediterranean, has led historical experts to conclude they had discovered the grave of an extremely wealthy Anglo-Saxon – probably a prince or a powerful warlord from the ancient kingdom of Mercia.

Excavation by archaeologists from Peterborough Museum has now confirmed that the 2ft-wide brass bowl was part of a lavish pagan funeral, in which a rich lord was buried with his most valuable possessions.

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Rare Saxon belt goes on display

A rare Anglo-Saxon belt buckle found by a treasure hunter with a metal detector is going on public display for the first time.

The copper alloy buckle dates from between AD600 and AD720 and is only the second one of its type found in England.

It was unearthed recently on the outskirts of London by Bill Robson, who handed it to the Museum of London.

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Limestone angel on display was buried for 1,000 years

AN ANGLO-SAXON carving of an angel unearthed at Lichfield Cathedral was hailed yesterday as the most important discovery of its type since the 19th century.

The 8th-century limestone panel retains much of its painted decoration, thanks to having been buried for more than a millennium. It is believed by archaeologists to have been part of the shrine of St Chad, Bishop of the Mercians, and an integral part of the Saxon church that lies under the cathedral.

St Chad’s remains were reburied in the church in the late 7th to early 8th centuries. According to the historian Bede, writing in the century after Chad’s death, his tomb became a place of pilgrimage because miracles took place there.

The carving, painted in strong colours, is thought to be one of the ends of a shrine chest depicting the Annunciation. Some of the angel’s feathers are in a gradation of tones from dark red to a pale pink.

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Britain 'had apartheid society'

An apartheid society existed in early Anglo-Saxon Britain, research suggests.

Scientists believe a small population of migrants from Germany, Holland and Denmark established a segregated society when they arrived in England.

The researchers think the incomers changed the local gene pool by using their economic advantage to out-breed the native population.

The team tells a Royal Society journal that this may explain the abundance of Germanic genes in England today.

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Sword finder takes his cut of £125,000

The finder of the remains of an exceptional 7th-century gold sword in a Lincolnshire field is £125,000 richer after they were acquired by the British Museum.

He is expected to share his good fortune with the owner of the field, near Market Rasen, where he made the discovery using a metal detector.

The sword’s pommel, decorated with large garnets that would have been transported along trade routes from Asia, and its hilt fittings were made by Anglo-Saxon craftsmen.

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Museum's £350,000 deal for coin

A gold coin dating to Anglo-Saxon times has been bought by the British Museum for more than £350,000.
The deal by the central London museum makes it the most expensive British coin ever purchased.

It depicts King Coenwulf of Mercia, who ruled Mercia and much of southern England, in the early 9th Century.

A metal detector enthusiast found it next to the River Ivel in Bedfordshire in 2001, and it was later bought by a US collector.

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Archangel sculpture rises from Lichfield nave

The Archangel Gabriel, his wings still fiery with colour applied over 1200 years ago, has emerged from beneath the nave of Lichfield Cathedral.

The Anglo-Saxon carved figure was found when builders, watched over by archaeologists, took up part of the floor of the nave to build a new rising platform for concerts and recitals.

"None of us imagined that the project would provide a priceless gem, with the discovery of a carved stone angel that dates back to the original Saxon church that pre-dates the present Cathedral," said the Cathedral's Dean, Adrian Dorbar.

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Saturday 19 January 2008

Radar Pinpoints Tomb Of King Edward The Confessor

The ancient tomb of Edward the Confessor, one of the most revered of British saints, has been discovered under Westminster Abbey 1,000 years after his birth.

The original burial chamber of the Anglo-Saxon king, who died in 1066, months before the invasion of William the Conqueror, was revealed by archaeologists using the latest radar technology.

The existence of a number of royal tombs dating back to the 13th and 14th century was also discovered beneath the abbey, the venue for nearly all coronations since 1066.

The forgotten, sub-terranean chambers were located during conservation work on the abbey's medieval Cosmati mosaic pavement around the high altar.

Dr Warwick Rodwell, the abbey's consultant archaeologist, said the find was "extraordinarily exciting".

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Ancient and modern could bring conflict of interests on Holy Island

ARCHAEOLOGICAL finds dating back to the Anglo-Saxon period and possibly even earlier could shed new light on the history of Holy Island.

A possible Anglo Saxon timber structure, medieval houses and significant quantities of animal bone and pottery have been found.

However, the discoveries could prove a major stumbling block to plans for a much needed affordable housing scheme on Holy Island.

It is only a few weeks since Holy Island Community Development Trust submitted plans for a £500,000 development to create four much needed affordable homes at Sandham Lane.

Dick Patterson, Trust chairman, admitted: "It's given us a bit of a headache but we knew there was always a good chance there would be finds of archaeological interest on a place like Holy Island."

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