A Little More Festive Fashion

Today's artefact is an ornate and amazing find...

Image taken from The British Museum

 

 

This golden cap was discovered in an ancient burial mound in 1833, by a group of workmen in Mold, Flinshire, Wales.  The cape is beautifully decorated and extremely delicate, it has been painstakingly restored after being crushed upon discovery.  It took many years for all the pieces to be reunited but the British Museum is confident that they now have it all.  The cape was not found alone, some 300 beads were included in the chamber placed around the body, along with a coarse blanket and an urn containing burnt human remains.  I am confident in saying that the cape was not everyday Bronze Age fashion, I am also confident that it was created for a woman due to its size.  The usage of the cape will remain unknown, however, its' form is likely to restrict the movement of the person wearing it.  This suggests that it has a formal and specific role within Bronze Age life, possibly in relation to religious and/or ceremonial activities.  It is the only example known, which makes interpretation increasingly more difficult.  Despite this I am sure like me, you are able to admire the work that has gone into its' creation and the wow factor that it produces.  The cape is currently on display in Gallery 51 of the British Museum.

Perfect Pots

Today's artefact is a particular favourite of mine and has featured within work I have conducted...

Image taken from Moody. G. 2008 The Isle of Thanet from Prehistory to the Norman Conquest Stroud: The History Press

 

This beautiful urn was discovered in Margate, Kent in 1924 by Arthur Rowe, he suggests in his recordings that the urn was restored, but as you can see from the image it is difficult to see where this occurs.  The urn is a dark grey colour, almost black in terms of the face, with the inner colouring slightly lighter.  It measures some 17.5cm at the widest surviving point, with a mouth diameter of c.12.5cm.  Where measurable the urn is c.5mm thick and this appears to be consistent.  Under the neck there is a groove, this runs around the urn at a consistent distance from the rim and above a punctured ‘dot’ pattern.  Further to this the urn is decorated with curved ‘leaf shape’ pattern, marked out with a groove and in filled with further puncturing.  This appears distinctly La Tène I in nature.  Whether the urn was made in Thanet or imported cannot be determined within the available literature, but either way it suggests a strong and developed link between Margate and areas such as the Rhine.  There is a suggestion that it was wheelmade, largely due to the consistency in thickness.  Its' discovery in a Middle Iron Age contexts means for this to be the case it must be imported as the technology does not reach Britain until the Late Iron Age.  The connection with the Rhine suggests the importance of waterways in communication, trade and exchange; it was clearly central to Iron Age life and is beautifully represented within this urn.  This urn is without doubt one of my favourite artefacts, it represents all that I understand of Middle Iron Age Thanet and is a symbol of the connected world I believe the Britons were a part of. 

 

 

This Little Piggy Went to Market

Today's artefact is an insight into a forgot people from the ancient world....

Image taken from www.bbc.co.uk

 

 

This little terracotta pig originates from Cyprus as is approximately 3000 years old.  It has an interesting provenance, discovered by Mr Cesnola and presented to Mr James Bibby in 1878.  Mr Cesnola was an archaeologist working in Cyprus on behalf of the British Museum and Mr Bibby was a Liverpool based ship owner.  It is told that the pig was part of an assemblage gifted to Mr Bibby as a thank you for halting a riot on the island.  So it seems this little pig, standing at only 8cm tall, has had a dramatic life...but what was it for?  This is where it reveals an aspect of society that is often forgotten...children! It is believed that this pig and others like it are rattles, used as a means of entertaining and comforting young children, much like many of us do today.  The little pig is hollow, but contains several beads allowing for noise to be created by little hands.  The size of the artefact makes it perfect for children to handle, however, the material is fragile and not of the durable nature you would expect for children.  It's survival suggests that the artefact was well curated during it's life, however the circumstance of its' discovery is unknown.  Without such a context truly understanding the role of such artefacts is difficult, however, it does provide a potential record of the ancient world's youngest residents...perfect at Christmas!

God's of Wonder

Another double posting for you lucky lot! This time with a splash of Rome....

December 11th

Today we have something a little bit special...

Image taken from www.romanbaths.co.uk

 

 

It is the head of the goddess Sulis Minerva, celebrated primarily in Bath, England.  This statue is slightly larger than life, cast from bronze and carefully gilded in gold leaf.  The head has clearly been removed in a deliberate act, thought to have occurred during the rise in Christianity and the banishing of Pagan belief.  This goddess is particularly special as she is actually two goddesses merged into one, allowing for the sacred springs of Bath to be just that for local Britons and the settled Roman population.  Sulis, arguably had the springs first, she was the local goddess and like Minerva stood for very similar things...they were both able to provide wisdom and success to their followers.  This resulted in the Roman visitors combining the two, it meant the superstitious Romans could edge their bets, the local population would be happier and it showed some common ground between the two conflicting camps.  This particular example is believed to have come from the temple situated near the springs, which is why it is so ornate in comparison to other examples of Sulis Minerva sculpture.  She is also only known within the region of Bath, with similar goddesses taking her role elsewhere in Britain.

 

 

December 12th

 

Today is carrying on the theme of religion in the Empire...

 

Image taken from English Heritage

 

 

It is the Temple of Mithras, Carrawburgh, Hadrian's Wall.  There are three such Temples known across the length of Hadrian's Wall and the cult of Mithras is well known within the Empire.  It is believed to have been borrowed by the Romans from those in the East, probably Persia, though this is not certain.  It seems to have been a fairly secretive Cult with certain rites having to be achieved before cult practice can begin, how much of this is true is unknown as there are few detailed references relating to Mithras.  It is known that he was a god of honour, truth and courage and as such held a strong appeal for solider and traders alike.  It also said that slaves were keen to be involved in the Cult, maybe he provided them a source of encouragement and belief when the world seemed to be against them.  It is clear as to why he would be favoured on Hadrian's Wall, it would have been a cold, lonely and hostile place, the very edge of the Empire and forever away from the lands that the soldiers may have called home.  Much like the slaves, they would need comfort and words that could stir courage to ensure honour and bravery.  

 

 

 

 

 



Magical Moments

Today is a far more modern artefact, that was chosen in light of the recent decision to create Flanders Field Memorial in London to mark the centinary anniversaries of World War I.

Image Taken from Portable Antiquities Scheme

 

This medal is a Distinguished Conduct Medal, which was issued to Sgt. G.H. Humber of the Royal Field Artillery in 1919.  It was discovered by a metal detector club in Surrey who were keen for it to be reunited with its' family.  Sgt Humber was born in 1889 in the Isle of White and sadly died there in 1985, before the discovery of his medal.  The Club and PAS issued details of the medals discovery in local newspapers in both Surrey and the Isle of White.  This answered many questions and reunited the medal and its' family.  Sgt Humber was active throughout the war, leading men in 1915, 1916, 1917 and 1918, in various battles in a brave and honourable manner.  The Isle of White newspapers were contacted by three of his grandchildren and the story continued to unravel.  Before they married, he and his wife Bessie lived with her parents on Batchelors Farm, near to the find spot.  He is thought to have found work in the area around 1920 and this is possibly when his medal was lost.  Before his death he was presented with a substitute medal, however I can only imagine how is family felt knowing the original had been discovered.  This artefact is a powerful one, capable of evolking all manner of emotions for all manner of people and able to ensure that the actions of the fallen and those that returned are never forgotten.  The Flanders Field Memorial in London is set to enhance this for many years to come.



An Iron Age Weekend

Hello everyone, I was away for the weekend and had posts all set-up ready to go live by themselves, but technology failed me....so here they are!

December 8th

War, Peace or Other

Today we have an artefact that almost always immediately shouts of war....

Image taken from Shropshire Council

 

It's the Jackfield Sword, found in the River Severn, near Telford in the 1970's.  The sword dates to the Early Iron Age and is a relatively rare find, made of bronze.  The sword is leaf shaped and in beautiful condition considering it's age.  The hilt is missing, but the fittings are in place, suggesting that it was made of organic material.  It is likely that the wood or bone would have been carved in order to enhance the aesthetic appeal of the sword.  During the Early Iron Age there is little evidence for warfare and the deposition of this sword in a river furthers such notions.  It is one of a number of bronze and iron artefacts that have been found in watery deposits and as such it is believed that they have a ritual significance, potentially relating to a lost cosmology.  It is often said that ritual is used by archaeologists as a means to avoid artefacts and sites that do not fit into our plans, however, there surely had to be a level of belief and tradition.  It features in cultures all over the world, so why not in prehistory?

 

 

December 9th

 

Today is the turn of something a little bit different....

 







Image taken from Portable Antiquities Scheme

 

 

It is the beautiful Tanworth Comb, discovered in Warwickshire, 2006.  Finds like this traditionally would be lost to the record, until the Portable Antiquities Scheme came to being.  This comb is a metal detecting find and its' finder did the right thing in taking it for study and identification.  It is dated to the very end of the Iron Age or very early Roman Period.  The comb is made of copper alloy, with both the front and back decorated with a detailed pattern.  Through study it has been determined that the decoration was cast rather than added after the creation process.  The teeth of the comb are fairly wide apart which suggests that it was not meant for human hair, but, instead it may be for the grooming of animals such as horses.  This is another rare find and serves as a perfect example of what can happen when the world of archaeology and the metal detectoring enthusiasts come together.  It also featured on Britain's Secret Treasures, Summer 2012.

 

 

 



It's the season to be jolly...

So today we have an artefact that is a must for all those office parties....

Image taken from The British Museum

 

 

It is of course the drinking horn!  With no way of putting them down it's easy to see why their Viking owners had such a reputation for being drunkards.  This example was however, found in an Anglo-Saxon context, along with a matching horn in a princely burial.  Discovered in Taplow, Buckinghamshire, the auroch horns are larger than their Scandinavian counterparts and suggest that this worldly Prince knew how to party!  Their silver gilding suggests he had a talented metalworker and money was no object to him either, between the metalwork, carving and cost of the animal, these were expensive party pieces.  But they were nothing compared to Scandinavian equivalents...

 

 

Image Taken from World Nomads

 

The above example is far smaller, but also far more ornate.  Scandinavian examples, like this one from Denmark, are often decorated with Norse gods and religious myth, confirming their association with celebration.  Such artefacts are likely to have be utilised during feasts and festivals to ensure a steady supply of mead was available to their owner.  They are generally seen as being a male artefact, but there is nothing to truly support this notion.  Our Princely example is sixth century AD in date, however, drinking horns were not a sudden invention, they were recorded by Tacitus when he encountered Germanic Tribes.  He describes them in a similar vein to our Princely examples, they were clearly seen as hit then as Roman examples are also known.

 

 

It seems that the drinking horn is still desirable, in searching for a suitable example to share with you I came across website after website selling modern examples based on those of the past.  So maybe you can take on to the office party after-all....