A Full excavation for Anglo-Saxon remains and other historical items could be carried out at a building site where human bones were found.
Investigations are continuing after the remains, including a skull, arm and collar bone, were unearthed by contractors working at Derby's Cathedral Green on Thursday.
Derby City Council says the site may now have to be closed for a full examination, depending on when the body dates back to. A police pathologist is still examining the body to discover its how long it had been there and its identity.
Maxwell Craven, historian and member of Derby Civic Society, said a full search would be needed if the bones were from Anglo-Saxon times or older.
Read the rest of this article...
Monday, 11 February 2008
Monday, 4 February 2008
EARLY BURIAL GROUND DISCOVERED BY ARCHAEOLOGISTS IN DONCASTER
Archaeologists have discovered a cemetery dating back 1,500 years at the site of a new school near Doncaster.
The exciting find, which consists of 35 burials, was made by a team from the Archaeological Research and Consultancy at the University of Sheffield (ARCUS) prior to the construction of the new North Ridge Special School in Adwick le Street.
“It is not every day that we find something as interesting as this,” said Richard O’Neill, ARCUS Project Manager. “Builders often ask us ‘have you found any old bones?’ This time we can say ‘Yes!’”
Investigations have shown that the remains date from between the 5th and 9th centuries, when the area was occupied by Saxons and Vikings. The burials are thought to be pre-Christian because of their south-west to north-east orientation.
Read the rest of this article...
The exciting find, which consists of 35 burials, was made by a team from the Archaeological Research and Consultancy at the University of Sheffield (ARCUS) prior to the construction of the new North Ridge Special School in Adwick le Street.
“It is not every day that we find something as interesting as this,” said Richard O’Neill, ARCUS Project Manager. “Builders often ask us ‘have you found any old bones?’ This time we can say ‘Yes!’”
Investigations have shown that the remains date from between the 5th and 9th centuries, when the area was occupied by Saxons and Vikings. The burials are thought to be pre-Christian because of their south-west to north-east orientation.
Read the rest of this article...
Saturday, 2 February 2008
WAS ARTHUR PART OF BRIGG ROUND TABLE?
Could King Arthur, the legendary leader of the Britons in the sixth century, have set up camp with his Knights of the Round Table in Brigg?
This fascinating question has been raised in a newly-published booked called the The Anglo Saxon Kingdom of Lindsey.Author Dr Kevin Leahy has staked North Lincolnshire's claim to a share in the Arthurian legend after spending 30 years researching his book.
Broughton-based Dr Leahy (61) said: "Following the withdrawal of the Romans in the early fourth century, Lindsey was a nation in its own right with its own kings and bishops.
"Excavations and metal detecting have shown how rich and exciting the kingdom was.
Read the rest of this article...
This fascinating question has been raised in a newly-published booked called the The Anglo Saxon Kingdom of Lindsey.Author Dr Kevin Leahy has staked North Lincolnshire's claim to a share in the Arthurian legend after spending 30 years researching his book.
Broughton-based Dr Leahy (61) said: "Following the withdrawal of the Romans in the early fourth century, Lindsey was a nation in its own right with its own kings and bishops.
"Excavations and metal detecting have shown how rich and exciting the kingdom was.
Read the rest of this article...
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.
Read the rest of this article...
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.
Read the rest of this article...
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.
Read the rest of this article...
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.
Read the rest of this article...
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.
Read the rest of this article...
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.
Read the rest of this article...
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.
Read the rest of this article...
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.
Read the rest of this article...
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.
Read the rest of this article...
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.
Read the rest of this article...
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.
Read the rest of this article...
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.
Read the rest of this article...
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.
Read the rest of this article...
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.
Read the rest of this article...
'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.
Read the rest of this article...
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.
Read the rest of this article...
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.
Read the rest of this article...
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.
Read the rest of this article...
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.
Read the rest of this article...
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.
Read the rest of this article...
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.
Read the rest of this article...
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.
Read the rest of this article...
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.
Read the rest of this article...
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.
Read the rest of this article...
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.
Read the rest of this article...
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.
Read the rest of this article...
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.”
Read the rest of this article...
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.”
Read the rest of this article...
'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.
Read the rest of this article...
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.
Read the rest of this article...
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."
Read the rest of this article...
"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."
Read the rest of this article...
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.
Read the rest of this article...
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.
Read the rest of this article...
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)