Tuesday 20 October 2009

Welcome to the AD 410 web site

2010 marks the 1600th anniversary of the end of Roman Britain in AD 410 - one of the greatest turning points in our history. What was life on the island like at this critical moment? Was it fire and sword, with barbarian raids, peasant risings, tribal warfare?

Read the rest of this article...

Monday 19 October 2009

Sutton Hoo welcomes monumental treasure into collection

After Birmingham Museum's breathtaking temporary display of the Staffordshire Hoard, the National Trust at Sutton Hoo have this week revealed their own treasure – a modern remake of the Royal Sceptre from the Sutton Hoo finds.

Suffolk stonemason and sculptor Brian Ansell was commissioned by the National Trust in February 2009 to carve a replica of the sceptre, which was found in 1939 among numerous treasures at the Royal Anglo-Saxon burial site.

The detailed replica will be added to the life-sized reconstruction of the burial chamber in the Exhibition Hall and used as part of a handling collection to help visitors learn more about the Anglo Saxon treasures discovered 70 years ago.

Read the rest of this article...

Sunday 18 October 2009

Knot found in hoard jewels

Archaeologists have discovered a Staffordshire Knot symbol among the treasures of the Staffordshire Hoard, making the county sign 500 years older than previously thought.

The discovery comes as it emerged a National Lottery bid is being put together to keep the Hoard in the region.

Images of the knot were found on a gold artefact, not previously displayed, that was dug up from a field near Brownhills this summer.

Read the rest of this article...

Thursday 15 October 2009

Boynton school children to view exciting archaeological finds at Caythorpe Gas Storage site

School children from Boynton Primary School in East Yorkshire are being given the opportunity to take a closer look at a number of interesting archaeological finds in their area.

Children from years five and six at the local village school have been invited to Centrica Storage Limited's Caythorpe site to learn more about an archaeological dig that has been taking place at the site over recent months.

Recognising early on in the planning of the new facility that it would come across certain archaeological finds, Centrica Storage made allowances in the project timetable to unearth and share any remains. Humber Field Archaeology has been involved in the dig and is currently excavating the site on Centrica Storage's behalf before construction work begins.

Read the rest of this article...

Wednesday 7 October 2009

History Cookbook

Welcome to the history cookbook. Do you know what the Vikings ate for dinner? What a typical meal of a wealthy family in Roman Britain consisted of, or what food was like in a Victorian Workhouse? Why not drop into history cookbook and find out? This project looks at the food of the past and how this influenced the health of the people living in each time period. You can also try some of the recipes for yourself. We have a wide range of historical recipes from Brown Bread Ice Cream to Gruel (Why not see if you would be asking for more - just like Oliver Twist).

Read the rest of this article...

Monday 5 October 2009

BA 109 covering Staffordshire Hoard

The Staffordshire Hoard is one of the most spectacular finds of recent years. It was found by a metal detecting enthusiast and reported to the proper authorities. The inquest has just been held which has officially declared it as ‘Treasure’. The Hoard has been compared to the Royal graves at Sutton Hoo.

Long before news of the hoard became public, editor Mike Pitts spoke to many of those involved with the find, and put together the complete story of how it was found – and kept secret. With pictures you’ll see nowhere else, this exclusive feature will be in British Archaeology issue 109, out 9 October. Read the CBA’s news story for more information and a diverse range of external links.

Read the rest of this article...

Saturday 3 October 2009

Does brooch dug up in Oxfordshire field belong to 6th century Saxon princess?

A SAXON brooch and skull uncovered by a metal detecting enthusiast may point to a 1,500-year-old royal grave hidden beneath a farmer’s fields.

The Home Office has ordered the exhumation of an early sixth century skeleton found in West Hanney, near Wantage, on Sunday to allow archaeologists to investigate the size of the burial site.

The quality of the Saxon jewellery found pinned to the body has already been compared to treasure found at the Sutton Hoo burial site in Suffolk in 1939 (see panel), now on display at the British Museum.

Read the rest of this article...

The Wantage Brooch

A short video by Gary Brun, showing the finding of the Wantage Saxon Brooch.

Watch the video...