What do you know about the Vikings?
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Sunday, 3 July 2011
Exhibition of Staffordshire Hoard of gold goes back on display
SPARKLING pieces from the Staffordshire Hoard are on display as conservationists uncover more of secrets of the treasure.
This month 44 pieces from the largest collection of Anglo-Saxon gold ever found are on show at the Shire Hall Gallery, in Stafford.
Archaeologists researching and conserving the Hoard have removed the soil, revealing the glistening garnets and gleaming gold. Now these cleaned pieces are on show, transporting visitors back to the Seventh Century.
Read the rest of this article...
This month 44 pieces from the largest collection of Anglo-Saxon gold ever found are on show at the Shire Hall Gallery, in Stafford.
Archaeologists researching and conserving the Hoard have removed the soil, revealing the glistening garnets and gleaming gold. Now these cleaned pieces are on show, transporting visitors back to the Seventh Century.
Read the rest of this article...
Staffordshire Hoard 'to help rewrite history'
A haul of Anglo-Saxon gold discovered beneath a Staffordshire farmer's field could help rewrite history, experts say.
Historians believe the Staffordshire Hoard could hold vital clues to explain the conversion of Mercia - England's last great Pagan kingdom - to Christianity in the 7th Century.
The hoard was found buried on a farm in Staffordshire in July 2009.
The 1,500 pieces of gold are thought to be the spoils of an Anglo-Saxon battle.
Read the rest of this article...
Historians believe the Staffordshire Hoard could hold vital clues to explain the conversion of Mercia - England's last great Pagan kingdom - to Christianity in the 7th Century.
The hoard was found buried on a farm in Staffordshire in July 2009.
The 1,500 pieces of gold are thought to be the spoils of an Anglo-Saxon battle.
Read the rest of this article...
Saturday, 25 June 2011
Behind the scenes with the Staffordshire Hoard
BURIED away deep within Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery is a room which houses scenes which could come straight from a CSI police show.
Working there, with the diligence of forensic experts, are archeologists and conservators, cleaning, cataloguing and studying the breathtaking 3,500 piece collection which makes up the Staffordshire Hoard. These modern day time detectives are using a mixture of the latest technology and Mother Nature to try to solve its many riddles. Neil Elkes reports
THERE was a eureka moment when conservator Deborah Magnoler realised that there was something familiar about the ancient gold cylinder decorated with garnet stones she was cleaning.
Read the rest of this article...
Working there, with the diligence of forensic experts, are archeologists and conservators, cleaning, cataloguing and studying the breathtaking 3,500 piece collection which makes up the Staffordshire Hoard. These modern day time detectives are using a mixture of the latest technology and Mother Nature to try to solve its many riddles. Neil Elkes reports
THERE was a eureka moment when conservator Deborah Magnoler realised that there was something familiar about the ancient gold cylinder decorated with garnet stones she was cleaning.
Read the rest of this article...
Thursday, 26 May 2011
Anglo-Saxon feast on the menu at Kirkleatham Museum
FOOD fit for a princess is being served up at a Teesside museum cafe to celebrate a ground-breaking exhibition.
The amazing story of the life and death of an Anglo-Saxon princess will be told at Kirkleatham Museum, Redcar, when a new exhibition opens on Saturday.
The display showcases unique archaeological finds, unearthed in Loftus between 2005 and 2007.
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The amazing story of the life and death of an Anglo-Saxon princess will be told at Kirkleatham Museum, Redcar, when a new exhibition opens on Saturday.
The display showcases unique archaeological finds, unearthed in Loftus between 2005 and 2007.
Read the rest of this article...
Monday, 16 May 2011
Loftus royal treasure display attracts crowds
An exhibition showcasing Teesside's links to Anglo-Saxon royalty attracted almost 1,700 people over five days.
The 7th Century artefacts, described as "unparalleled" were found in Loftus at the only known Anglo-Saxon royal burial site in north-east England.
After a battle to keep them in the region they will go on show at Redcar's Kirkleatham Museum from May 28.
Read the rest of this article...
The 7th Century artefacts, described as "unparalleled" were found in Loftus at the only known Anglo-Saxon royal burial site in north-east England.
After a battle to keep them in the region they will go on show at Redcar's Kirkleatham Museum from May 28.
Read the rest of this article...
Sunday, 15 May 2011
Pottery fragments from Glastonbury Abbey cast new light on Dark Ages
Archaeologists are gearing up to share their discovery that the history of Glastonbury Abbey site reaches right back to the Dark Ages. Previous studies of the Abbey’s pottery had identified early Roman, Anglo-Saxon, medieval and later material. Now, a one-day symposium hosted by Glastonbury Abbey, exploring exciting new research into the historic excavation archives 1908 – 1979, will show that human activity took place there as early as the third or fourth centuries BC.
John Allan, Consultant Archaeologist to Glastonbury Abbey, and one of the speakers at the Symposium, said: ‘We now realise that the Abbey site had a much longer history than previously known, reaching right back into prehistory and including the mysterious Dark Ages. We hadn’t realised these periods were represented in the excavated pottery, until this project.
‘A scatter of exotic Saxon, Norman, medieval and later ceramics attests the great wealth of the abbey. Scientific analysis has now established the precise origins of some of these finds; the most distant come from Italy, Spain, Portugal and France.
Read the rest of this article...
John Allan, Consultant Archaeologist to Glastonbury Abbey, and one of the speakers at the Symposium, said: ‘We now realise that the Abbey site had a much longer history than previously known, reaching right back into prehistory and including the mysterious Dark Ages. We hadn’t realised these periods were represented in the excavated pottery, until this project.
‘A scatter of exotic Saxon, Norman, medieval and later ceramics attests the great wealth of the abbey. Scientific analysis has now established the precise origins of some of these finds; the most distant come from Italy, Spain, Portugal and France.
Read the rest of this article...
Glastonbury Abbey's pottery link to Dark Ages
Pottery fragments from an excavation archive of Glastonbury Abbey have shown the site dates back to the Dark Ages, which is later than previously thought.
The research project into the 1951-1964 excavation archive have shown humans occupied the site in the late 4th or 5th centuries.
Archaeologist John Allan said: "We hadn't realised these periods were represented in the excavated pottery."
Other finds include "exotic" pottery from Italy, Spain, Portugal and France.
Read the rest of this article...
The research project into the 1951-1964 excavation archive have shown humans occupied the site in the late 4th or 5th centuries.
Archaeologist John Allan said: "We hadn't realised these periods were represented in the excavated pottery."
Other finds include "exotic" pottery from Italy, Spain, Portugal and France.
Read the rest of this article...
Thursday, 5 May 2011
Anglo Saxon jewellery from Loftus burial site goes on show
A UNIQUE collection of Anglo-Saxon jewellery found in the North-East is set to go on display to the public for the first time.
The seventh century treasure trove sheds light on the extraordinary life of an Anglo-Saxon princess living in east Cleveland.
The artefacts were found in a farmer's field near Loftus between 2005 and 2007 at the only known Anglo-Saxon royal burial site in North-East England.
Read the rest of this article...
The seventh century treasure trove sheds light on the extraordinary life of an Anglo-Saxon princess living in east Cleveland.
The artefacts were found in a farmer's field near Loftus between 2005 and 2007 at the only known Anglo-Saxon royal burial site in North-East England.
Read the rest of this article...
Anglo-Saxon princess pendant at Kirkleatham
Add a commentRecommend SHE was buried with her jewellery about 1,400 years ago in East Cleveland - and now her story is being graphically told in a world first for Teesside.
A stunning collection of 7th Century treasure, shedding light on the life of an Anglo-Saxon princess, is about to go on display at Redcar’s Kirkleatham Museum.
The artefacts - hailed by archaeologists as some of the rarest ever uncovered - were found in Loftus between 2005 and 2007 at the only known Anglo-Saxon royal burial site in North-east England.
Read the rest of this article...
A stunning collection of 7th Century treasure, shedding light on the life of an Anglo-Saxon princess, is about to go on display at Redcar’s Kirkleatham Museum.
The artefacts - hailed by archaeologists as some of the rarest ever uncovered - were found in Loftus between 2005 and 2007 at the only known Anglo-Saxon royal burial site in North-east England.
Read the rest of this article...
Thursday, 28 April 2011
Historic Church's Subterranean Secrets Revealed
Researchers from Kingston University in London have carried out a full scientific survey of an historic churchyard widely believed to be the site of the crowning of at least two Anglo-Saxon kings. The team used an earth resistance meter to survey a graveyard at the site where possibly as many as seven kings were crowned, during the 10th Century, including Athelstan, the first king of a unified England in 925, and Ethelred the Unready in 978-9.
An archaeological team from Kingston University in South West London has gone beneath the surface of the historic churchyard at the borough's All Saints Church to try to find out more about its history. The team carried out a full scientific survey of the site in the heart of Kingston's town centre, with local people and school children also taking the opportunity to get involved.
Read the rest of this article...
An archaeological team from Kingston University in South West London has gone beneath the surface of the historic churchyard at the borough's All Saints Church to try to find out more about its history. The team carried out a full scientific survey of the site in the heart of Kingston's town centre, with local people and school children also taking the opportunity to get involved.
Read the rest of this article...
Anglo-Saxon hall unearthed at Bamburgh Castle
An archaeological research team in Northumberland has unearthed a medieval hall underneath Bamburgh Castle.
Bamburgh Castle Research Project dug up a small trench under the inner courtyard at the core of the castle and discovered an Anglo-Saxon hall.
The team believes that the discovery probably dates back to medieval times.
The dig was carried out after the researchers invited Channel 4's Time Team to the castle to help them with their latest archaeological project.
Read the rest of this article...
Bamburgh Castle Research Project dug up a small trench under the inner courtyard at the core of the castle and discovered an Anglo-Saxon hall.
The team believes that the discovery probably dates back to medieval times.
The dig was carried out after the researchers invited Channel 4's Time Team to the castle to help them with their latest archaeological project.
Read the rest of this article...
Monday, 11 April 2011
Achaeologists excitement over an old plough found at Lyminbge in Kent that reveals how farmers worked in the 7th Century
An archaeological discovery is set to shed new light on the history of farming.
Dr Gabor Thomas of the University of Reading and his team have found a 7th Century iron plough coulter during excavations at Lyminge .
A coulter is a vertical soil slicer mounted like a knife to cut through the soil ahead of a plough share to improve the plough's efficiency.
Unlike the small fields associated with earlier light ploughs they cultivated the land in long narrow strips making the large open fields which would become a standard feature of the medieval countryside.
Read the rest of this article...
Dr Gabor Thomas of the University of Reading and his team have found a 7th Century iron plough coulter during excavations at Lyminge .
A coulter is a vertical soil slicer mounted like a knife to cut through the soil ahead of a plough share to improve the plough's efficiency.
Unlike the small fields associated with earlier light ploughs they cultivated the land in long narrow strips making the large open fields which would become a standard feature of the medieval countryside.
Read the rest of this article...
Friday, 8 April 2011
Anglo-Saxon 7th Century plough coulter found in Kent
An archaeological discovery by the University of Reading is set to shed new light on the history of farming.
Dr Gabor Thomas and his team have found a 7th Century iron plough coulter during excavations at Lyminge, Kent.
A coulter is a vertical soil slicer mounted like a knife to cut through the soil ahead of a plough share to improve the plough's efficiency.
The coulter, one of the defining features of a 'heavy plough', transformed the landscape of England.
Read the rest of this article...
Dr Gabor Thomas and his team have found a 7th Century iron plough coulter during excavations at Lyminge, Kent.
A coulter is a vertical soil slicer mounted like a knife to cut through the soil ahead of a plough share to improve the plough's efficiency.
The coulter, one of the defining features of a 'heavy plough', transformed the landscape of England.
Read the rest of this article...
Tuesday, 29 March 2011
Archaeological Dig At UKCMRI Site Behind British Library
Construction work will soon begin on a world-class medical research centre behind the British Library. The UK Centre for Medical Research and Innovation (UKCMRI) will bring together scientists from Cancer Research UK, UCL, Wellcome Trust and the Medical Research Council in a brand new facility.
Before the builders are let loose, an archaeological dig will scrabble about on the site looking for remnants of yore. Public tours of the dig will be available on 16, 18, 18, 20 and 21 April. An on-site exhibition about the UKCMRI will also be open on 31 March.
So what might the archaeologists find? The land was most recently for industrial goods, including a fish shed and coal depot. Before that, dense rows of housing occupied the site. Perhaps more intriguingly, the area sits very close to the Saxon (possibly Roman) site of St Pancras Old Church, and beside the former banks of the River Fleet. It’s quite possible that ancient remains might lay beneath the top soil.
Read the rest of this article...
Before the builders are let loose, an archaeological dig will scrabble about on the site looking for remnants of yore. Public tours of the dig will be available on 16, 18, 18, 20 and 21 April. An on-site exhibition about the UKCMRI will also be open on 31 March.
So what might the archaeologists find? The land was most recently for industrial goods, including a fish shed and coal depot. Before that, dense rows of housing occupied the site. Perhaps more intriguingly, the area sits very close to the Saxon (possibly Roman) site of St Pancras Old Church, and beside the former banks of the River Fleet. It’s quite possible that ancient remains might lay beneath the top soil.
Read the rest of this article...
Sunday, 27 February 2011
The Long Twelfth-Century View of the Anglo-Saxon Past
Dr David Woodman and Dr Martin Brett are hosting a two-day conference on 29th - 30th March on 'The Long Twelfth-Century View of the Anglo-Saxon Past' at Robinson College, Cambridge, in association with the Department of Anglo-Saxon, Norse & Celtic, and the British Academy. Registration is £20, and details on how to register can be found here.
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Saturday, 26 February 2011
Anglo-Saxon site will be unearthed
New archaeological digs are to take place at the site of an Anglo-Saxon burial ground in Oakington.
The village sits on the site of a sixth-century settlement described as “one of the most significant archaeological sites you could have”.
Two digs will take place later this year.
Archaeology students, led by Dr Duncan Sayer, a lecturer in archaeology at the University of Central Lancaster, will undertake a two-day excavation on April 12 and 13.
Read the rest of this article...
The village sits on the site of a sixth-century settlement described as “one of the most significant archaeological sites you could have”.
Two digs will take place later this year.
Archaeology students, led by Dr Duncan Sayer, a lecturer in archaeology at the University of Central Lancaster, will undertake a two-day excavation on April 12 and 13.
Read the rest of this article...
Friday, 18 February 2011
Searching for Saxons in West Langton
IN A FIELD near West Langton, under the cover of 100,000 square metres of oil seed rape, the secrets of a society long gone lay hidden for century after century.
All it took to bring these secrets to the surface was a determined team of archaeologists, a funeral pyre in the style of the Anglo Saxons and an agreeable farmer willing to allow the clearing of his crop.
Time Team visited the site in West Langton in the summer of last year.
Over the years, the fields they visited have produced a huge amount of Anglo Saxon finds.
Read the rest of this article...
All it took to bring these secrets to the surface was a determined team of archaeologists, a funeral pyre in the style of the Anglo Saxons and an agreeable farmer willing to allow the clearing of his crop.
Time Team visited the site in West Langton in the summer of last year.
Over the years, the fields they visited have produced a huge amount of Anglo Saxon finds.
Read the rest of this article...
Friday, 14 January 2011
Your Favourite Archaeological Sites in Europe
Which sites in Europe have you most enjoyed visiting? A new Archaeology in Europe website allows you to post descriptions and photos of archaeological sites that you have visited, and to give ratings and comments for sites that are already in the database.
The site is very much in its infancy at the moment, and I would welcome contributions and feedback. It is envisaged that the site will grow into a useful source of up to date information for those planning to visit sites in Europe.
You can find the site at: archaeologyineurope.phile.com.
The site runs on Phile – a brilliant application developed by Mike Schiff and Sho Kuwamoto. Phile can be best described as a combination of an online database and a social network site, and it allows people with similar interests to share much more detailed information than the usual social network sites.
I am sure that Phile has tremendous potential for archaeological societies, fieldwork studies and other work groups. Take a look at phile.com.
The site is very much in its infancy at the moment, and I would welcome contributions and feedback. It is envisaged that the site will grow into a useful source of up to date information for those planning to visit sites in Europe.
You can find the site at: archaeologyineurope.phile.com.
The site runs on Phile – a brilliant application developed by Mike Schiff and Sho Kuwamoto. Phile can be best described as a combination of an online database and a social network site, and it allows people with similar interests to share much more detailed information than the usual social network sites.
I am sure that Phile has tremendous potential for archaeological societies, fieldwork studies and other work groups. Take a look at phile.com.
Wednesday, 5 January 2011
New book throws light on Middle Saxon Shift in East Sussex
The later Anglo-Saxon settlement at Bishopstone: a downland manor in the making by Gabor Thomas is the latest CBA Research report (no 163) to be published.
Well known for the Early Anglo-Saxon settlement previously excavated on Rookery Hill and its impressive pre-Conquest church, Bishopstone has entered archaeological orthodoxy as a classic example of a ‘Middle Saxon Shift’.
This new volume reports on the excavations from 2002 to 2005 designed to investigate this transition, with the focus on the origins of Bishopstone village. Excavations adjacent to St Andrew’s churchyard revealed a dense swathe of later Anglo-Saxon (8th- to late 10th-/early 11th-century) habitation, including a planned complex of ‘timber halls’, and a unique cellared tower. The occupation encroached upon a pre-Conquest cemetery of 43 inhumations.
Read the rest of this article...
Well known for the Early Anglo-Saxon settlement previously excavated on Rookery Hill and its impressive pre-Conquest church, Bishopstone has entered archaeological orthodoxy as a classic example of a ‘Middle Saxon Shift’.
This new volume reports on the excavations from 2002 to 2005 designed to investigate this transition, with the focus on the origins of Bishopstone village. Excavations adjacent to St Andrew’s churchyard revealed a dense swathe of later Anglo-Saxon (8th- to late 10th-/early 11th-century) habitation, including a planned complex of ‘timber halls’, and a unique cellared tower. The occupation encroached upon a pre-Conquest cemetery of 43 inhumations.
Read the rest of this article...
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