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.
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Monday, 19 October 2009
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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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).
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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Tuesday, 29 September 2009
A new angle on the Saxons
Historians are only starting to realise the magnitude of the Staffordshire hoard discovery
The snaking line of more than 1,000 people queuing to enter the Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery on Friday afternoon illustrated perfectly the surge of interest sparked by the announcement — just a day before — of the largest hoard of Anglo-Saxon treasure ever discovered.
Among those queuing to see the artefacts was Allison Buckley, 47, from Stafford. “It is almost as exciting as queuing to see the treasures of Tutankhamun,” she said, recalling the rush to see the Egyptian boy king’s death mask in London in 1972. “What makes this so exciting is that it has just been unearthed. There is still soil on the pieces and you can imagine it in the ground.”
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The snaking line of more than 1,000 people queuing to enter the Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery on Friday afternoon illustrated perfectly the surge of interest sparked by the announcement — just a day before — of the largest hoard of Anglo-Saxon treasure ever discovered.
Among those queuing to see the artefacts was Allison Buckley, 47, from Stafford. “It is almost as exciting as queuing to see the treasures of Tutankhamun,” she said, recalling the rush to see the Egyptian boy king’s death mask in London in 1972. “What makes this so exciting is that it has just been unearthed. There is still soil on the pieces and you can imagine it in the ground.”
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Thursday, 24 September 2009
The Staffordshire Anglo-Saxon Hoard
You can find links to the Staffordshire Hoard Press Pack and to three images at:
http://archaeology.eu.com/anglo-saxon/staffhoard/
http://archaeology.eu.com/anglo-saxon/staffhoard/
Huge Anglo-Saxon gold hoard found
The UK's largest haul of Anglo-Saxon treasure has been discovered buried beneath a field in Staffordshire.
Experts said the collection of 1,500 gold and silver pieces, which may date back to the 7th Century, was unparalleled in size.
It has been declared treasure by South Staffordshire coroner Andrew Haigh, meaning it belongs to the Crown.
Terry Herbert, who found it on farmland using a metal detector, said it "was what metal detectorists dream of".
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Experts said the collection of 1,500 gold and silver pieces, which may date back to the 7th Century, was unparalleled in size.
It has been declared treasure by South Staffordshire coroner Andrew Haigh, meaning it belongs to the Crown.
Terry Herbert, who found it on farmland using a metal detector, said it "was what metal detectorists dream of".
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Wednesday, 23 September 2009
Hoard of Anglo-Saxon treasure
The most significant hoard of Anglo-Saxon treasure ever found will be unveiled at Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery on Thursday September 24th at 11.30pm.
A number of artefacts will be available to view with experts on hand to provide analysis.
The hoard has already been labelled 'as significant if not more so' than the world famous Sutton Hoo find (1939)
For more information, please visit www.birminghamnewsroom.com or contact Geoff Coleman on 0121 303 3501 or by email geoffrey.coleman@birmingham.gov.uk
Birmingham City Council Press Office
A number of artefacts will be available to view with experts on hand to provide analysis.
The hoard has already been labelled 'as significant if not more so' than the world famous Sutton Hoo find (1939)
For more information, please visit www.birminghamnewsroom.com or contact Geoff Coleman on 0121 303 3501 or by email geoffrey.coleman@birmingham.gov.uk
Birmingham City Council Press Office
Monday, 21 September 2009
Kirkleatham Museum to display jewels from Cleveland grave of Anglo-Saxon princess
An "unparalleled" hoard of gold jewellery found next to the body of an Anglo-Saxon princess in a secret Teesside Royal burial field will be revealed to the public with a £275,000 Lottery-funded display.
The precious haul of fine pieces were placed in the grave on a decorated wooden bed in the second half of the seventh century, and are thought to have belonged to members of the Northumbrian royal family.
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The precious haul of fine pieces were placed in the grave on a decorated wooden bed in the second half of the seventh century, and are thought to have belonged to members of the Northumbrian royal family.
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Ancient skull unearthed on farm
A metal detecting club has unearthed a 7th Century skull and brooch on farmland in South Oxfordshire.
The Weekend Wanderers Metal Detectors Club were holding a rally on land near West Hanney.
Peter Welch from the club said: "The piece is garnet encrusted with what appears to be gold inlay. It must have belonged to somebody of high status"
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The Weekend Wanderers Metal Detectors Club were holding a rally on land near West Hanney.
Peter Welch from the club said: "The piece is garnet encrusted with what appears to be gold inlay. It must have belonged to somebody of high status"
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Hundreds of Saxon graves unearthed on new pub site
A perfectly preserved pair of glass drinking cups was found when the grave of an Anglo-Saxon warrior was unearthed during building work on a new pub, Yourswale reports.
The burial place was one of more than 200 uncovered at a site in Sittingbourne, known as The Meads.
Other findings included swords, spears, shields, decorative beads and other jewellery, as well as fragments of clothing.
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The burial place was one of more than 200 uncovered at a site in Sittingbourne, known as The Meads.
Other findings included swords, spears, shields, decorative beads and other jewellery, as well as fragments of clothing.
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Tuesday, 25 August 2009
Online Courses in Archaeology
Cave paintings, castles and pyramids, Neanderthals, Romans and Vikings - archaeology is about the excitement of discovery, finding out about our ancestors, exploring landscape through time, piecing together puzzles of the past from material remains.
Our courses enable you to experience all this through online archaeological resources based on primary evidence from excavations and artefacts and from complex scientific processes and current thinking. Together with guided reading, discussion and activities you can experience how archaeologists work today to increase our knowledge of people and societies from the past.
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Our courses enable you to experience all this through online archaeological resources based on primary evidence from excavations and artefacts and from complex scientific processes and current thinking. Together with guided reading, discussion and activities you can experience how archaeologists work today to increase our knowledge of people and societies from the past.
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Wednesday, 19 August 2009
Anglo-Saxon Landscape and Economy: using portable antiquities to study Anglo-Saxon and Viking Age England
In the last fifteen years the role of metal-detected objects in archaeological research has greatly increased through reporting to the Portable Antiquities Scheme (PAS) and the Early Medieval Corpus (EMC). There are now thousands more artefacts and coins known than a decade ago which, in conjunction with fieldwork, have the potential to revolutionise our understanding of the early medieval period. This is the first time that these data have been examined on a national scale. Such an approach enables the detailed analysis of the nature of portable antiquities data, the bias within such datasets and the relationship between patterns of recovery and historic settlement (Sections 2 and 3). In the light of these new interpretations of the overall datasets, the most artefact- and coin-rich sites, known as 'productive sites', can be analysed within a new framework of understanding (Section 4).
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Tuesday, 18 August 2009
Amateur archaeologist Basil Brown to be honoured
HE made one of the most important archaeological discoveries in the United Kingdom unearthing priceless treasure which is now displayed in the British Museum.
Among the historical artefacts was the unique discovery of a seventh century ship believed by many to be the grave of an Anglo Saxon king.
But ironically the final resting place of Basil Brown, the man who made the incredible discoveries at Sutton Hoo in 1939, remains a mystery.
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Among the historical artefacts was the unique discovery of a seventh century ship believed by many to be the grave of an Anglo Saxon king.
But ironically the final resting place of Basil Brown, the man who made the incredible discoveries at Sutton Hoo in 1939, remains a mystery.
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Thursday, 9 July 2009
Cambridge yields Anglo-Saxon remains
Archaeological excavations in the central offices of Cambridge University have revealed that the area was occupied by Anglo-Saxons.
The finds include Roman pottery, medieval remains and 11th Century dog bones, which indicate Cambridge was established in the final decades of the Saxon era.
"The site has enabled us to prove what we previously had no proof for - that by the time of the Norman Conquest there was a thriving settlement in the middle of Cambridge," BBC quoted Richard Newman of the Cambridge Archaeological Unit as saying.
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The finds include Roman pottery, medieval remains and 11th Century dog bones, which indicate Cambridge was established in the final decades of the Saxon era.
"The site has enabled us to prove what we previously had no proof for - that by the time of the Norman Conquest there was a thriving settlement in the middle of Cambridge," BBC quoted Richard Newman of the Cambridge Archaeological Unit as saying.
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Wednesday, 17 June 2009
Yorkshire treasure stash unearthed after 1,000 years
MORE than a thousand years ago a Saxon thief, desperate to hide his plunder, stashed a hoard of stolen gold in what is today a nondescript West Yorkshire field.
What became of the thief is lost to the ages and his precious loot lay safely buried in that same field for the next millennium.
There it remained until a treasure hunter, out with his trusty metal detector last year, experienced the moment he will never forget when he unearthed the amazing find on the farmland near Leeds.
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What became of the thief is lost to the ages and his precious loot lay safely buried in that same field for the next millennium.
There it remained until a treasure hunter, out with his trusty metal detector last year, experienced the moment he will never forget when he unearthed the amazing find on the farmland near Leeds.
Read the rest of this article...
Ancient burial site found at Boscastle
AN ANCIENT burial site dating from the Dark Ages has been discovered at Boscastle during work to create a new waste water scheme for the area.
A pagan and Christian cemetery, including at least 18 graves, was unearthed during the setting up of a compound.
The discovery prompted South West Water (SWW) to call in experts to help understand the significance of the find.
Experts said the particular type of graves found were extremely rare.
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A pagan and Christian cemetery, including at least 18 graves, was unearthed during the setting up of a compound.
The discovery prompted South West Water (SWW) to call in experts to help understand the significance of the find.
Experts said the particular type of graves found were extremely rare.
Read the rest of this article...
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