Chalk drum from 5,000 years ago is ‘most important art find’ in a century

A 5,000-year-old chalk sculpture discovered in east Yorkshire, due to be displayed at the British Museum, has been described as the most important piece of prehistoric art to be found in Britain in the last century.

The object, which archaeologists have named the “Burton Agnes drum”, is a chalk sculpture that had been decorated with motifs similar to the artistic style at the same time as Stonehenge was built. The drum was discovered alongside the burial of three children.

The drum is hailed to be such an important discovery due to its similarity to a group of objects already in the British Museum’s collection.

The Folkton drums, three barrel-shaped cylinders made of chalk, were found in North Yorkshire buried alongside the remains of a child, and have been part of the British Museum’s collection since 1889. They are, according to the British Museum, some of the “most famous and enigmatic ancient objects ever unearthed in Britain”.

Relatively little is known about the Folkton drums and their context but this new drum, which was found about 15 miles away, sheds new light on them.

The exact age of the Folkton drums was never known, with a consensus guess that they were made around 2500 – 2000BC.

However, due to new technology and the finding of the new drum, the Folkton drums can be identified as being nearly 500 years older than previously thought.

This new discovery, only the fourth example of its kind known to have survived, is nearly identical to the Folkton drums and can also be described as a chalk drum.

Despite the use of the term ‘drum’, they are not thought to have had a musical function. Instead, they are works of sculptural art and have been interpreted to be intended as talismans to protect the deceased children they accompanied.

The Burton Agnes drum is due to be displayed to the public for the first time on Thursday, alongside all three Folkton drums, as part of the World of Stonehenge exhibition at the British Museum.

Neil Wilkin, the curator of The World of Stonehenge at the British Museum, said the discovery was “truly remarkable”.

“The Folkton drums have long remained a mystery to experts for well over a century, but this new example finally begins to give us some answers. To my mind, the Burton Agnes drum is even more intricately carved and reflects connections between communities in Yorkshire, Stonehenge, Orkney and Ireland,” he said.

“The discovery of the Burton Agnes grave is highly moving. The emotions the new drum expresses are powerful and timeless, they transcend the time of Stonehenge and reflect a moment of tragedy and despair that remains undimmed after 5,000 years,” he added.

“We are honoured that the British Museum will be the first place the public will be able to see this important object and that they will see it alongside 430 other ancient items telling the spectacular story of Stonehenge and the vibrant world in which it was built.”

Mark Allen, the director of Allen Archaeology, said that it has been a “real privilege” to have been involved in its discovery, and took the opportunity to thank the “landowners for their enthusiasm and interest in the project from the outset.”

“When we heard about the find from the team on-site and saw the photos of the drum that were messaged over to us, it was clear we were looking at something extraordinary,” he said. “Although the photos did not do it justice, and we were all stunned to see it up close when it came off-site.”

Alice Beasley, who first uncovered the drum as an archaeologist for Allen Archeology, said discovering it was a “thrilling and humbling” experience. “Seeing the love and effort put into burying the individuals over 5,000 years ago was truly moving,” she said.

The World of Stonehenge exhibition at the British Museum, on display until mid-July, is the UK’s first major exhibition on Stonehenge. Nearly two-thirds of the objects on display will be loaned from 35 lenders across several different countries, including Germany, Denmark and Italy.

Archaeologists Find 40 Beheaded Roman Skeletons With Skulls Between Their Legs

Archaeologists in England have unearthed 40 beheaded skeletons at an ancient Roman burial site while digging along the high-speed rail line near Fleet Marston, just 55 miles northwest of London.

Researchers found the remains while excavating part of a newly discovered 2,000-year-old town, which also included coins, lead weights, brooches, bells and enclosures that once formed part of a road, according to Katy Prickett of BBC News.

The team uncovered the artefacts while work was progressing on the construction of HS2, a major modern railway system that will connect much of the country when completed in 2040, per the Guardian.

“The excavation is significant in both enabling a clear characterization of this Roman town but also a study of many of its inhabitants,” Robert Brown of COPA JV, a consortium of archaeological contractors working with HS2, says in a statement.

For more than a year, Cotswold Archaeology, Oxford Archaeology and Pre-Construct Archaeology (COPA) have worked to excavate the town and burial site. The cemetery, from which 425 skeletons were exhumed, is the largest of its kind in Buckinghamshire, per the Guardian.

About 10 per cent of the skeletons found were decapitated, with the skulls placed between their legs or near their feet, possibly due to their status as criminals or outcasts, say the researchers in the statement. However, they add that such burials were also a “normal, albeit marginal, burial rite” conducted in the late Roman period, dating to between 250-450 C.E.

“Decapitation was one of the four main methods of execution sanctioned by Roman law” and is believed to have been a popular choice among lawmakers across Roman Britain,” Rob Wiseman, an archaeologist at the University of Cambridge who was not involved in the discovery, told Live Science in an email. “Although what the purpose [of that ritual] remained uncertain.”

Often in these cases, scientists are unable to determine if the decapitated bodies had their heads removed before or after death, Wiseman adds, but sometimes skeletons found at similar burials show evidence of being struck from behind by a sharp blade while the person was kneeling.

Aside from the severed heads, the graves don’t appear different from other Roman gravesites. Even under Roman law, the bodies of executed criminals were typically handed over to kin, who traditionally opted for normal burials, Wiseman tells Live Science. One explanation for the placement of the severed heads at Fleet Marston burial is that the relatives of the individuals may have believed that the soul would only transition into the afterlife if the head was placed next to the rest of the body, Wiseman says. Or it could be they feared the corpse would put itself back together and return from death.

The archaeologists state that the number of burials and the development of the settlement suggests the town experienced a “population influx” around the mid-to-late Roman period, due to what may have been an increase in agricultural production. The burial site was divided into two different areas, indicating that the cemetery may have been organized by tribe, family or ethnic grouping, per the statement.

The researchers plan to study the exhumed skeletons over the next few years in hopes of learning more about the lifestyles of ancient Romans, reports Alia Shoaib for Business Insider.

“All human remains uncovered will be treated with dignity, care and respect and our discoveries will be shared with the community,” says Helen Wass, head of heritage at HS2, in the statement. “HS2’s archaeology program seeks to engage with all communities both locally and nationally to share the information and knowledge gained as well as leaving a lasting archival and skills legacy.”

Experts also found 1,200 coins along with several lead weights indicating the town served as a centre for trade, reports BBC News. Additionally, the site contained domestic artefacts, such as pottery, spoons, pins and brooches, as well as gaming dice and bells, suggesting gambling and religious activity occurred at the settlement.

In addition to the artefacts, a team of 50 COPA archaeologists discovered a series of enclosures along Akeman Street, an ancient Roman road linking the town of Verulamium—now St. Albans—with the settlement of Corinium Dobunnorum—now Cirencester—per the HS2 statement. These structures were likely a mix of domestic dwellings and sites of commercial and industrial activity.

Parts of the road were widened, say the scientists, suggesting the area may have been used as a marketplace. The extra room would have provided space for carts and stalls, according to the statement.

Archaeologists say the town was likely an important staging post for travellers and soldiers passing on their way to and from the Roman garrison at what is now Alchester, per BBC News.

The scientists also found evidence of Iron Age enclosures, suggesting the area was used for farming before the town was established. Early in the Roman period, the region was the site of gravel quarrying, possibly used for the construction of Akeman Street, per the statement. The team also discovered a stone-built corn dryer or malting oven, which may have been used for brewing, per the statement.

Fleet Marston is one of more than 100 archaeological sites investigated by HS2 since work began in 2018 on the first phase of track between London and Birmingham, reports the Guardian.

“The HS2 archaeology program has enabled us to learn more about our rich history in Britain,” Wass tells the Guardian. “The large Roman cemetery at Fleet Marston will enable us to gain a detailed insight into the residents of Fleet Marston and the wider Roman Britain landscape.

13th-Century Tiled Floor Unearthed at Friary Site in England

Archaeologists at a city dig site have uncovered a medieval tiled floor dating back to around the 13th Century. The discovery was made in Gloucestershire at the location of the new £107m development, The Forum.

The floor, made of glazed white and green tiles, belonged to the cloister of the city’s medieval Whitefriars Carmelite Friary and was unearthed by the Cotswold Archaeology team.

Archaeologist Anthony Beechey described the find as “extra special”.

Mr Beechey explained that the “beautiful tiled floor is in remarkably good condition”.

“Most of our Whitefriars findings are fragments of the original structure while this floor is largely intact, making the discovery extra special” and the excavation process “endlessly fascinating”, he added.

‘Best-preserved finding’

Andrew Armstrong, the city archaeologist at Gloucester City Council, said: “It is thrilling to see yet more evidence of Whitefriars emerge and this is the best-preserved finding to date.”

He added: “The friary played an active role in the city for 300 years and yet, until these excavations started, very little was known about it.”

Whitefriars’ exact location in Gloucester was the subject of speculation for decades until the archaeological investigations began, following the demolition of the former multi-storey carpark on Bruton Way in early 2020.

The Forum is being developed into a new social and digital quarter by the council and Reef Group.

Councillor Richard Cook said the findings are shining “a light on Gloucester’s historic heritage”.

In September 2021, a 1,800-year-old figurine was uncovered by Cotswold Archaeology close to the area of the site currently being excavated.

Father discovered a medieval English gold coin worth a record $875,000 on the first day he tried out his new metal detector

When his children were born, Michael Leigh-Mallory gave up his passion for metal detecting. Now, 10 and 13, they encouraged him to take up the hobby again. On the first day he used his new metal detector, he found the oldest gold coin in England, dating back to the 13th century.

“The day after it arrived, I went out into this field. It was a bright, sunny day, and within 15 minutes, I found the coin. I knew it was gold, but I had no idea how important it was,” Leigh-Mallory told The Guardian.

The 52-year old ecologist and amateur historian had dug up the rare gold penny as it glistened in a field in Devon, South West England, and was advised to take it to the British Museum.

It was discovered to be one of only eight in existence, and the last one was found 260 years ago, according to The Metro.

The coin, made from North African gold, was minted in the reign of Henry III, who was the English king between 1217-72.

Not only did it bring immense joy to Leigh-Mallory and his family, but also a record-breaking hammer price of £540,000 – with extra fees taking the total £648,000 ($878,778) – when the coin was sold at Spink and Sons auctioneers in London, last week.

Spink told Insider that the sale price made it the most valuable coin ever sold in the UK. A private collector bought it, say reports.

“It is quite surreal, really,” Leigh-Mallory told the paper. “I’m just a normal guy who lives in Devon with his family, so this really is a life-changing sum of money which will go towards their futures.”

In a statement to Insider, Leigh-Mallory said that he is “humbled and honoured to be linked with the discovery and subsequent history afforded to us by the staggering research undertaken by Spink and the wider academic community about this coin.”

He will split the profits of the find with the landowner. “The money will be put towards my children’s future, who show the same passion for our history as me. In fact, I really owe it to them for having found the coin in the first place, as they were my inspiration to go out prospecting,” Leigh-Mallory added.

Woolly mammoth and rhino among Ice Age animals discovered in Devon cave

The remains of Ice Age animals including mammoths, woolly rhinoceros and hyenas have been uncovered in a cave near Plymouth. The finds offer a glimpse of an ancient ecosystem from over 30,000 years ago and have started a campaign to prevent the cave from being sealed off once more.

Some of the earliest residents of a new town in Devon are not quite what you’d expect. The bones of mammoths, woolly rhinoceros and hyena are among the remains discovered in a cave during the construction of new houses in Sherford, near Plymouth. They date to the middle of the last Ice Age between 60,000 and 30,000 years ago. Rob Bourn, the lead archaeologist on the project, described the find as a major discovery of national significance,’ adding it was a once in a lifetime experience for those involved.’

He said, ‘To find such an array of artefacts untouched for so long is a rare and special occurrence. Equally rare is the presence of complete or semi-complete individual animals. We look forward to reaching the stage where the discoveries can be shared and displayed so that everyone can find out more about our distant past.’

The Ice Age remains are expected to go on display locally at The Box, a newly opened museum in Plymouth, amid debate over what should happen to the site of their discovery.

What is an Ice Age?

An Ice Age is any period of Earth’s history when the planet has a large number of ice covers, such as polar ice caps and glaciers. There have been five Ice Ages in Earth’s history, with the first taking place over two billion years ago. This has been followed by others such as the Cryogenian Ice Age when it is thought that ice sheets could have reached as far as the Equator.

What we tend to refer to as the Ice Age is simply the last glacial period. Ice sheets covered much of northern Europe until the current interglacial began around 11,700 years ago.

Dr Victoria Herridge, an expert in fossil elephants at the Museum who was not involved with the discovery, says, ‘The Sherford Ice Age fossils are from the middle of last major cold period, known as the Devensian. During this time, ice sheets covered much of Wales and northern England but did not reach as far south as in some earlier glaciations.

‘At this time, Devon then would have been a bitterly cold and dry place to be, even in summer. However, it was also a huge open grassland, capable of supporting vast herds of cold-tolerant animals like the woolly mammoth, the woolly rhino and reindeer, as well as the big carnivores like hyena and wolf that preyed upon them.’

The conclusion of this Ice Age also spelled the end for many of these animals, with climate change and the activity of early humans both suggested as potential causes. This had a significant impact on the planet, with dramatic changes in ecosystems resulting from the extinction of large herbivores.

What was found in Sherford, and what happens now?

The Sherford finds include an almost complete wolf skeleton, as well as the tusk and bones of a woolly mammoth and part of the skull of a woolly rhinoceros. Even though the bones have been found together, it doesn’t necessarily mean the animals all lived at the same time. One suggestion is that the animals fell into a pit over thousands of years, while another is that the bones may have been washed into the cave or moved by predators.

Victoria says, ‘As our most recent geological period, the Ice Age fossil record is very rich in what are known as ‘superficial’ geological deposits – the gravels and sands deposited by ancient glacial streams. This means that Ice Age fossils turn up pretty frequently during construction projects or as a result of quarrying for gravel and sand.

‘The Museum has a huge number of Ice Age fossil mammals in its collections that were discovered during construction projects that shaped modern London. These include finds from the construction of the London Underground, while the tooth of a straight-tusked elephant was found during the construction of the Museum itself.

While the Sherford remains are set to go on display at The Box, the future of the site they were discovered in is being debated. A petition has been launched by Tara Beacroft, conservation officer for caving organisation the Devon and Cornwall Underground Council, to prevent the cave from being sealed.

Speaking to BBC News, she said that the site should be preserved for future generations and researchers as a ‘unique presence’ for the new town.

‘Let’s keep pushing so that we can continue the scientific research,’ Tara said. ‘We can find out more about the site’s potential ecology, we can find out more about the past climate and explore this incredible historical time capsule.’

However, The Sherford Consortium, which is developing the new town, said that it intends to seal the entrance, adding that the public should not attempt to visit the site.

In a press release, the developers said, ‘The underground space will be conserved, and no construction will take place on top of it. However, the entrance will be closed to both protect the historic site and ensure public welfare. It is not, nor will it be, possible for the public to safely access the area in which the discoveries have been made.’

While the debate continues, scientists will continue to research the remains found in the cave and add to our knowledge of the UK in the last Ice Age. Victoria says, ‘Every new discovery if excavated properly, has the potential to advance our understanding of what this past world was like.

‘This is vital knowledge. Scientists are still unravelling what role climate and humans played in the extinction of the woolly mammoth and the woolly rhino – and what we can learn from that to protect species threatened by both today.’

Dozens of decapitated skeletons found in Roman cemetery dig

Archaeologists have discovered at least 40 beheaded skeletons in a Roman cemetery on the route of the high-speed HS2 railway. The 50-strong team made the grisly discovery in Fleet Marston near Aylesbury, Buckinghamshire.

More than 400 bodies were exhumed and around 10 per cent were decapitated, with several having their heads placed between their legs or next to their feet.

HS2 Ltd said the decapitations suggest the bodies are of “criminals or a type of outcast”, although decapitation was a “normal, albeit marginal” part of burial during the late Roman period.

The cemetery is the largest of its kind in Buckinghamshire.

The bodies are being held in storage for further analysis.

Unlike those exhumed from Christian grounds such as St James’s Gardens in north London, HS2 is under no obligation to rebury the bodies. The archaeologists discovered more than 1,200 coins at Fleet Marston, which suggests it was an area of trade and commerce.

Domestic objects including spoons, pins and brooches were found, while gaming dice and bells suggest that gambling and religious activity were popular at the site. The excavation was carried out over more than a year by Cotswold Archaeology and Oxford Archaeology (Copa), working on behalf of an HS2 contractor.

Copa senior project manager Richard Brown said: “The excavation is significant in both enabling a clear characterisation of this Roman town but also a study of many of its inhabitants.

“Along with several new Roman settlement sites discovered during the HS2 works it enhances and populates the map of Roman Buckinghamshire.”

Fleet Marston is one of more than 100 archaeological sites examined by HS2 since 2018 on the route of the first phase of the railway between London and Birmingham.

HS2 Ltd’s head of heritage Helen Wass said: “The HS2 archaeology programme has enabled us to learn more about our rich history in Britain.

“The large Roman cemetery at Fleet Marston will enable us to gain a detailed insight into the residents of Fleet Marston and the wider Roman Britain landscape.

“All human remains uncovered will be treated with dignity, care and respect and our discoveries will be shared with the community.”

Medieval College Building Found in Oxford, England

A “lost” Oxford University college has been unearthed during the construction project for new student flats. The former St Mary’s College was founded in 1435 but had already fallen into disrepair 100 years later.

A team from Oxford Archaeology discovered a massive limestone wall foundation, butchered animal bones and decorated floor tiles.

Construction firm Beard is developing 30 student flats at Brasenose College’s Frewin Annexe.

The ill-fated St Mary’s College was to be a base for Augustinian canons studying in Oxford.

A two-storey college chapel and library was built, but construction was very slow.

Cardinal Thomas Wolsey tried to speed things up but was later accused of treason by King Henry VIII and died.

The college further faded into obscurity after the Dissolution of the Monasteries.

Archaeologists have found a wall believed to have supported one of the college’s stone buildings.

They are also excavating a series of pits where disposed animal bones and charcoal suggest the kitchens were nearby.

Other items include a 17th Century stone flagon – drinks container, a bone comb and a medieval long cross silver penny.

The site has been occupied since the late 11th Century and was once the location of a high-status Norman house.

Ben Ford, senior project manager at Oxford Archaeology, called the remains a “unique and fascinating part of Oxford”.

“We are hoping to shed light not only on the layout of the lost college of St Mary’s but also discover evidence that tells us about the lives of some of medieval Oxford’s most powerful Norman families who probably lived at the site,” he said.

He added: “If we are really lucky, we may uncover signs of even older everyday life, from Oxford’s earliest years when it was first built as a heavily-defended town on the Thames, guarding the border between Saxon and the Viking held lands.”

Rare Roman wooden figure uncovered by HS2 archaeologists in Buckinghamshire

A waterlogged ditch in Buckinghamshire has yielded the most unexpected find — a rare, extremely well-preserved wooden figure dating back to Roman times. The discovery — the first of its kind in 100 years — was initially dismissed as a piece of degraded wood when it was found in Twyford during work on HS2 last July.

However, closer analysis revealed that it bears the shape of a human, seemingly dressed in a knee-length tunic tied at the waist and sporting either a hat or hair.

The figure is 26 inches (67 cm) tall — having lost the lowest part of its legs, not to mention its arms below the elbow — and is 7 inches (18 cm) wide.

Archaeologists said that the lack of oxygen in the trench in which the figure was found was what prevented it from rotting — preserving it for some 2,000 years. 

While its exact purpose is unknown, experts believe that the wooden representation may have been carved for the gods as a form of religious offering.

‘This is a truly remarkable find that brings us face to face with our past,’ said Historic England’s senior science advisor, Jim Williams.

‘The quality of the carving is exquisite and the figure is all the more exciting because organic objects from this period rarely survive.’

In the same ditch from which the wooden figure was recovered, archaeologists also found shards of pottery dating back to around 43–70 AD.

To provide a precise age for the figure itself, researchers are planning to conduct radiocarbon dating on a small fragment of the wood that was already broken off of the carving before it was unearthed from the ditch.

‘Not only is the survival of a wooden figure like this extremely rare for the Roman period in Britain, but it also raises new questions about this site,’ said archaeologist Iain Williamson of HS2’s Enabling Works Contractor, Fusion JV. 

Outstanding questions, he added include: ‘Who does the wooden figure represent, what was it used for and why was it significant to the people living in this part of Buckinghamshire during the 1st century AD?’

The figure is currently being further examined and conserved in the laboratory by experts from York Archaeology. It is extremely rare for carved wooden figures from Britain’s prehistoric and Roman periods to survive into the present day.

The last such discovery — the ‘Dagenham Idol‘, which has been dated to 2250 BC — was recovered from the north bank of the Thames back in 1922.

In 2019 a Roman-era wooden arm that was thought to have been carved as a religious offering was found at the bottom of a well in Northampton.

The story of the figure’s discovery will feature on the episode of BBC Two’s ‘Digging for Britain’ programme airing on Thursday, January 13th.