Pompeii of the North: London’s most important excavation ever unearths a Roman treasure
Just yards from the River Thames – in what is now the capital’s financial district – archaeologists have found coins, pottery, shoes, lucky charms, and an amber Gladiator amulet which date back almost 2,000 years.
Situated on the largest swathe of the lost Walbrook River still remaining in the City, the wet conditions have created perfect conditions for the survival of archaeological material, giving an extraordinary glimpse into life in bustling Roman Londinium. Even objects and structures made of wood and leather – which normally rarely stand the test of time – have been discovered, leading archaeologists to dub the site “the Pompeii of the north.”
Experts excavating the site, which lies alongside a huge building project for new offices on Queen Victoria Street, have uncovered wooden structures from the 40s AD around 40ft (12 meters) beneath the ground.
The Bloomberg Place construction site in the City financial district of London where archaeologists have discovered thousands of Roman artefacts
A fragment of an ceramic beaker, dating from around the 1st century AD, among thousands of Roman artefacts unearthed
The discoveries have been so well preserved in the muddy waters of the lost Walbrook River that archaeologists have nicknamed the site ‘the Pompeii of the North’.
Sadie Watson, the site director from the Museum of London Archaeology, said: ‘Certainly the archaeology on this project so far is probably the most important excavation ever held within London, certainly within Roman London
‘The depth, the preservation, the extent of the archaeology – the entire Roman period is represented by fantastic buildings as well as artifacts.’
The three-acre site, which was once on the banks of the River Walbrook, is also home to the Temple of Mithras, discovered in the 1950s.
Fascinating finds: Other items unearthed include this complete ceramic beaker with applied ‘ring and dot’ decoration (left) and an amber amulet in the shape of a gladiator’s helmet (right)
Uncovered: A ceramic oil lamp depicting a stag (left) and a selection of Roman pins (right)
Artifact: A lead or tin plaque depicting a bull, which could be a representation of the zodiac symbol Taurus
It has offered experts an unprecedented glimpse into life in the bustling center of Roman Londinium. Archaeologists from the museum were able to excavate the area when work to build the vast Bloomberg Place development began.
Since then around 10,000 accessioned finds have been discovered by 60 archaeologists – the largest haul of small finds to have ever been recovered on a single excavation in the capital.
Approximately 3,500 tonnes of soil have been excavated by hand, which is around 21,000 barrows full.
This site has provided the largest quantity of Roman leather to have ever been unearthed in the capital, including hundreds of shoes
More than 100 fragments of Roman writing tablets have been unearthed, while 700 boxes of pottery fragments will be analyzed by specialists.
This site has provided the largest quantity of Roman leather to have ever been unearthed in the capital, including hundreds of shoes.
Sophie Jackson, from the museum, said: ‘The site is a wonderful slice through the first four centuries of London’s existence.
‘The waterlogged conditions left by the Walbrook stream have given us layer upon layer of Roman timber buildings, fences, and yards, all beautifully preserved and containing amazing personal items, clothes, and even documents – all of which will transform our understanding of the people of Roman London.’
Everyday Life In A Bronze Age Village Emerges In U.K. Excavation
Must Farm, an extraordinarily well-preserved Late Bronze Age settlement in Cambridgeshire, in the East of England, drew attention in national and international media as ‘Britain’s Pompeii’ or the ‘Pompeii of the Fens’.
The major excavation was funded by Historic England and Forterra Building Products Ltd, which owns the Must Farm quarry.
What did villagers in England eat for dinner 3,000 years ago? And what were they wearing?
These are the kinds of questions that archaeologists believe they can answer with a Bronze Age-era discovery at the Must Farm Quarry, some 80 miles north of London.
“What’s special about this is, it’s not the archaeology of the important people. It’s not burial mounds. This is the archaeology of the home,” David Gibson from the Cambridge Archaeological Unit says in an interview with All Things Considered.
Wood specialist Mike Bamforth examines the base of a Bronze Age wooden bucket at the excavation site.
Remains of a Bronze Age circular house show inner and outer post rings and collapsed roof timbers “like spokes in a wheel.”
The research team says say these circular Bronze Age homes were perched on stilts above a river.
Archaeologists believe that when a fire started, the residents fled, and their dwellings sunk into the river where they were preserved by the silt, creating a unique snapshot of everyday life thousands of years ago.
Among this treasure trove are whole pots with food inside, textiles made from plant fibers, a longboat, weapons, and colorful beads.
Gibson says they’re sending off pots for analysis. “It might even tell us exactly what their last meal was before the fire struck,” he says. And somewhat chillingly, “we know it was sudden because one of the pots with the food still had its wooden spoon stuck in it.”
Whole pots were preserved inside timber dwellings destroyed by fire. Archaeologists discovered there was still food in some of them.
He adds that they’ve found 29 complete food vessels and pots, ranging in size from 2 feet high to 2 inches. “It’s almost like someone has gone to the department store and ordered the full set for their house,” Gibson says.
It’s the “best-preserved Bronze Age dwellings ever found in Britain,” preservation group Historic England says in a statement.
Historic England and the Forterra Quarry are funding this $1,588,000 project over four years.
“Normally, when we do archaeology, we see the decay of a settlement, we see it going out of use, and we see the slow back-fill overtime of the ditches and the pits.
We don’t see a snapshot. So this is almost like, you get the opportunity to peek through the curtains and see people actually in their daily moment,” archaeologist Selina Davenport told the BBC.
Archaeologists are still excavating the site. They say the findings will eventually be displayed at nearby museums.
Solid gold ring with the lord of rings inscription found in the field
A gold ring engraved with a romantic message has been unearthed centuries after it was last seen.
Amateur treasure hunter Morley Howard was metal detecting in a newly ploughed field in Highbridge, Somerset, when he made his discovery.
The ring, with a Lord of the Rings-style inscription reading ‘In thee my choys I do rejoys’ is thought to be a 300-year-old posy ring, traditionally given by lovers in Elizabethan times.
Mr Howard, from Burnham-on-Sea, is now waiting for the ring to be dated by the British Museum.
He said: ‘When previously metal detecting on this land I’d only unearthed pre-decimal and modern items, but when the farmer recently ploughed the land, I thought I’d give it a couple of hours again.’
Mr. Howard said he’d searched the field before but decided to have another go after it was ploughed
Mr Howard, of Burnham-on-Sea, said the ring is the most exciting find he’s had in four years of treasure hunting
‘My metal detector was quiet initially, but just as I was about to turn around, my machine gave a good strong signal and I dug a small plug and lifted the soil to reveal a small band of yellow.
‘It was a marvellous moment – I thought what a loss it must have been for the owner at the time, but it was also a joy for me to get a treasure find.’
He took the ring to the Somerset Heritage Centre before sending it on to the British Museum where it will be verified by jewellery experts.
But Mr Howard believes it is an Elizabethan posy ring, which were traditionally given by lovers with romantic messages engraved on the inside in the 15th, 16th and 17th centuries.
He said: ”Many posy rings were made for women and are smaller, but this one is a male ring and weighs 6.8 grams. It’s hard to date as there are no maker’s initials or hallmarks.
The inscription reads: ‘In thee my choys I do rejoys’, which is a typical message found in gold posy rings
‘These posy rings can have a value of between £1,500-£4,000, and if it’s proven to be more than 300 years old it will be offered to a local museum to acquire.
‘If a museum wants it, they’ll have to pay the land owner 50 per cent and myself 50 per cent once it’s been valued.
‘If the ring is not acquired by a museum, then it’s returned to me and the land owner and we’ll decide what to do with it.’
The inscription is typical for a ring of the period.
Burnham-on-Sea dates back to Roman times, making it a favourite with treasure hunters. In 1607 the Bristol Channel flooded, swamping Burnham and leaving many treasures buried under the mud the water brought.
Norway couple find Viking grave under floor of their house
A Norwegian couple got quite the shock when renovating their old family house near Bodø in northern Norway this month.
When the couple removed the floor, they began to find stones and pieces of iron. Archaeologists
After removing the floorboards and some sand with the intention to install insulation, the couple discovered several rocks. They continued digging and spotted something glittering in the light.
“It wasn’t until later that we realised what it could be,” Mariann Kristiansen from Seivåg near Bodø told Norway’s state broadcaster NRK of the find. “We first thought it was the wheel of a toy car.”
Naturally, they were curious, and then they saw something round glinting in the light. They knew that it had to be old because the house had been built in 1914 and the floorboards had not been moved since. The house has been in the same family for over a century.
After some further digging, the couple found an iron axe head and some other metallic objects, that were all obviously old. ‘It wasn’t until later that we realized what it could be” Mariann Kristiansen, one of the owners of the house, told The Local .
Viking ax head, representation of the find at the Viking burial site in Norway.
The couple contacted the local authorities and experts from the local Nordland county government came to inspect the finds. Martinus Hauglid told the couple that they had most likely found a grave from the Iron Age in Norway. This was the era when the Vikings ruled in Scandinavia and terrified most of the known world.
The archaeologist told The Local that the couple had found an “ax dated between 950 and 1050 AD”. The bead of glass, which was revealed to be blue dates from the same period.
A glass bead was among the first objects discovered in the Viking grave.
Viking Cairn
It is believed that the stones found underneath the flooring came from a burial.
The stones were likely part of a cairn. In this type of burial, a mound of stones and rocks are erected over the deceased which was a very common burial practice in the Iron Age.
A number of similar cairns were found in the Lendbreen Mountain Pass in Norway when a glacier melted. This was an important trade route in the Middle Ages .
Martinus congratulated the couple on their find and stated that they had done a good job, by reporting things so soon. The archaeologist said that it was the first instance of a Viking grave being found under a private dwelling in his 30 year career.
Archaeologists have begun an investigation of the grave. Forbes reports that under Norwegian Law any human artifacts or “activity before 1537 are automatically preserved”. The items found by the couple have been transported to a museum for conservation and safekeeping.
These stones formed the top of what archaeologists believe is a Viking burial ground.
End of the Viking Age
Martinus is quoted by Forbes as stating that the finds under the floorboards date back to a time “when Norway transitioned to Christianity to become one kingdom”. This was the time when kings like Olaf Tryggvason , attempted to dominate the many chiefdoms and create a centralized state.
Some of these monarchs sought to impose Christianity on the pagan Norse as part of their efforts at state-building and this led to many civil wars. The grave could help researchers to better understand this crucial period in Norwegian history which saw the demise of the Viking Age.
It appears that the original builders of the house, over a century ago, were not aware that they were building a private residence on a grave. It is quite possible that they unearthed items and simply discarded them. This raises the possibility that some Viking-era grave goods were lost or destroyed during the construction of the family home.
Viking era grave goods displayed at the National Museum of Iceland.
Archaeologists discover giant defensive minefield from the roman iron age
Archaeologists have unearthed a massive structure in Lolland that is believed to have been used to ward off an attacking army back in the Roman Iron Age. So far, 770 meters of the structure have been detected.
In 2013 a team of archaeologists from the Museum Lolland-Falster in Denmark discovered a vast ancient “hole belt”: a defense land work featuring over 1000 long lines and rows of small holes dug into the ground.
According to archaeologist and Museum Inspector, Bjørnar Mage, talking to TV2 EAST , this hole belt was designed to slow down hostile advancing armies from the south coast of Lolland and it was built during the reign of the Roman Empire in Europe, and while 770 meters of the belt have been measured, museum staff estimate it may be up to twice as big.
The hole belt is thought to have been located about a kilometer from the coast between two impassable wetlands meaning attacking enemies advancing into Lolland, would have been seriously hampered, says Bjørnar Måge.
Since 2013, two smaller excavations have studied the hole belt but this recent excavation was the first to illustrate how large this ancient military feature actually was, and revealed that it had built at one time in a major constriction project.
The massive structure may have stretched 1.5 km across Lolland.
Tomb of the Pagan Prince
The hole belt might have been built in the days leading up to a major battle , but maybe it was a reaction to a concrete threat where you “wanted to make sure you had time to defend yourself against an advancing enemy,” says Bjørnar Mage in a Nyheder article. And this apparent immediacy in the building of the structure is supported in the fact no evidence has been discovered that the belt was ever maintained after its construction and it appears that it had been left to lapse.
So far, three-hole belts have been found to the east of the main belt, but a number have been found in Jutland. However, this belt is much wider than any of the Jutland examples.
Bjørnar Måge believes the building of the hole belt required “considerable strength and hinterland” and that it was beyond the abilities of the average local farmer, leading him to suspect that “a local warlord or prince” was behind the construction.” He said it takes “time and a lot of manpower” to build such a large defense force and this is only something that would make sense if there was a “major man behind it.”
Perhaps lending weight to this line of thinking, not far from the hole belt in the town of Hoby near Dannemare, archaeologists discovered a stone built tomb dating from the Roman Iron Age but the researchers have not yet been able to associate the two sites yet.
Hundreds of markers map out the elements of the hole belt.
Imagine For A Second, The Horror Of Being Trapped In A Hole Belt
The coasts of Denmark during the late Iron Age were invaded by armies from Norway and Eastern Europe but no historical records exist pertaining to military activities in the north of the country, but the belt indicates a major battle was prepared for.
Putting ancient hole belts in context, Bjørnar Måge compares them with “modern minefields” designed specifically to delay advancing enemy forces. According to writers J.E. and H.W. Kaufmann’s 2018 Classical to Medieval Fortifications in the Lands of the Western Roman Empire, “Caesar’s Lilies”, were Roman-built ditches about 1 meter (3.3ft) deep containing sharpened wooden spikes and Bjørnar Måge, said Viet Cong soldiers used “ Caesar’s lilies” against American soldiers as recently as the Vietnam War.
Example of Roman Lilia at Rough Castle, Antonine Wall.
The archaeologists in Denmark believe the hole belt was designed to delay advancing armies so that the native army could get into the most tactically suitable positions, from where they could “shoot the attackers with arrows from towers” arranged behind the hollow belt.
But at this time no archaeological remains of such towers have been found, says Bjørnar Mage, however, towers were not needed to seriously hamper an advancing Roman army, for example:
Imagine you are on the front line of a Roman army. You’ve just spent eight months advancing into Denmark, sleepless and weary having defended your camp from native guerrilla attacks every night. Your sword is blunted chopping the skeletons of Denmark’s indigenous peoples and you are standing amidst your 6000 brothers in arms when you are deafened with the war cry “We Are Legion” as your field commander signals you to advance into the hole belt.
Tip-toeing around thousands of wooden spikes and deep pits your advance is slow, but you are almost at the other side and stop to take a breath, and to prepare your psychology for another mass-slaughter.
But then, your accumulated worst fears arrive in one nightmarish moment as the Danish infantry begin to thin, making way for their special forces who ride forward through the morning mist: 200 mounted cavalries armed with bows who fringe the hole belt.
Realizing their destiny, panic spreads among your men and most are reduced to whimpering as the sky quickly darkens with thousands of heavy oak, iron-tipped arrows, and for the last time your thoughts turn to your family and the swaying wheat fields from whence you came, and to where you will now return, courtesy of the hole belt.
Unfortunately, due to its environmental circumstances, the Lolland hole belt is rapidly disappearing and Bjørnar Mage said that if the site had been left for as little as five more years “there would probably be nothing left” and he says only the bottom five centimeters of the belt have been preserved in many areas of the structure.
Found with a metal detector: 52,503 bronze and silver Roman coins in a ceramic pot
The Frome Hoard is a hoard of 52,503 Roman coins found by metal detectorist Dave Crisp near Frome in Somerset, England. The coins were contained in a ceramic pot 45 cm (18 in) in diameter, and date from AD 253 to 305.
Most of the coins are made from debased silver or bronze. The hoard is one of the largest ever found in Britain and is also important as it contains the largest group ever found of coins issued during the reign of Carausius, who ruled Britain independently from 286 to 293 and was the first Roman emperor to strike coins in Britain.
The Museum of Somerset in Taunton, using a grant from the National Heritage Memorial Fund (NHMF), has acquired the hoard, officially valued at £320,250.
The hoard was discovered while Crisp was metal detecting in a field near Frome where he had previously found late Roman silver coins.
The late Roman coins, eventually totalling 62, were probably the remnants of a scattered hoard, 111 of which had been found on the same farm in 1867.
Whilst searching for more coins from the scattered hoard he received what he called a “funny signal” and on digging down about 35 cm (14 in) he found a small radiate coin and the top of the pot. Realizing that this must be an intact coin hoard he stopped digging and filling in the hole he had made.
Crisp notified Katie Hinds, the Portable Antiquities Scheme Finds Liaison Officer for Wiltshire, that he had found the hoard of coins.
Hinds, together with Anna Booth (Finds Liaison Officer for Somerset) and Alan Graham—an independent archaeologist contracted by Somerset County Council—visited the site to carry out an emergency excavation.
The excavation, led by Graham and assisted by Hinds, Booth, Crisp, and members of the landowner’s family, was performed over three days.
Graham initially excavated a 1.5 meters (4.9 ft) trench around the small hole that Crisp had dug and identified the pit in which the pot had been deposited.
A small black-burnished ware bowl had been inverted over the mouth of the larger pot, to form a lid.
First, he excavated the pit fill around the exterior of the pot, identifying organic matter which might represent packing material to protect it, and determined that the pot had been broken in situ long before its discovery.
He then excavated the pot itself. Due to the weight of the contents, the need for speedy excavation due to security concerns and the difficulty in lifting the broken pot with the contents still inside—which would be the preferred archaeological method, so that the contents could be excavated in controlled, laboratory conditions—the decision was taken to excavate the coins in the field.
The coins were removed in 12 layers, by which method it was hoped to determine if there was any chronological pattern in the deposition of the coins; that is, whether the earliest coins were at the bottom and the latest coins at the top.
The coins were collected in 66 labeled bags, and in total weighed approximately 160 kg (350 lb). Graham excavated and recorded the finds, and the others bagged the coins as Graham lifted them out.
The face of Priest Buried at Lincoln Cathedral Reconstructed
A facial reconstruction of a medieval priest found buried at Lincoln Cathedral has been unveiled.
The clergy members ‘ discoveries and facial reconstruction have been shared by archeologists who unearthed a particularly rare Medieval priestly burial in the Lincoln cathedral earlier this year to allow us to see the priest’s face and to give us an insight in what life would have been like for him.
Allen Archaeology Ltd, Lincoln, has uncovered the priest’s burial during an excavation –as part of the Lincoln Cathedral Connected project – to enable drainage works and landscaping around the Cathedral, in the area that is now the building’s West Parvis.
The remains were found during excavations to enable drainage works and landscaping
The skeleton analysis has confirmed that the medieval priest was a man, about 169 cm tall and died between the ages of 35 and 45 years old, but most likely in his late 30s.
The priest was buried alongside a pewter chalice and paten and similar examples have been dated back as far as the 12th Century
Regarding the associated grave goods interred with him – a pewter chalice and paten which are key symbols of the work of a priest and used during communion – the report shows that these objects were plain in style, and similar examples have been dated back to as far as the 12th and 13th centuries.
Inverness-based forensic artist Hew Morrison, used Allen Archaeology’s findings and photographs of the skull, to build up a reconstruction of the priest’s face.
This facial reconstruction was created using “advanced computer techniques”, archaeologists say
The outcome looks like a real-life photo; enabling the people of Lincoln and Lincolnshire to come face to face with the medieval priest.
Forensic studies have shown that facial reconstruction techniques do not create an exact likeness, but a close representative image of a particular person that could be recognized by those who knew them.
In this instance, without the availability of DNA testing, the colour of the hair and eyes, etc. are conjectural, but the features of the priest’s skull – his close-set eyes and slightly asymmetrical chin – plus his estimated age at the time of death, are factual information that forms the basis for facial reconstruction.
From the bone report, a number of interesting and unusual traits were found on the rest of the priest’s body.
There was little sign in the skeleton that he had suffered from any disease or injury during his life, with the exception of a small lump resulting from deep tissue bruising and small deposits of mineralized dental plaque.
Hypoplasia (underdevelopment of tissue) which was seen in a neck vertebra, may have been associated with asymmetry of the blood vessels, but whilst this has been shown to increase predisposition to certain types of stroke, it is not possible to conclude that the priest had any associated symptoms.
The degeneration of the discs of his lower spine shows that the priest was involved in some level of physical activity, and are within the changes that would be expected to have occurred with age. His remains suggest that he was apparently well-nourished and had a relatively risk-free lifestyle.
The Revd Canon, John Patrick, Subdean of Lincoln, said: “These excavation findings are truly captivating and the historical insights we gain are a testament to the rich history of the religious site.
This burial was one of many significant objects discovered during renovation works and we look forward to being able to see many of these treasures in the new visitor center.
“The whole cathedral team and I hope everyone is keeping well in these unprecedented times and we are eager to welcome people back to the cathedral once government lockdown measures are lifted.”
During this excavation, a host of other fascinating historic artifacts were unearthed which are currently being studied and dated. It is planned that some will be displayed as part of the new Lincoln Cathedral visitor centre, which is currently under construction due to complete later this year.
A senior manager at Allen Archaeology, Natasha Powers, said: “This burial is just one of the fascinating discoveries that our team has made during the Cathedral Connected project. We have revealed new evidence of Roman, Saxon, medieval, Tudor and Victorian activity within the site, and full analysis of the 50 or so burials that have been unearthed will provide us with a window into understanding the lives of the medieval population of Lincoln.”
The area between the West Front of the cathedral and the neighboring Exchequergate Arch is known to have been used as a burial ground for not only the cathedral but the church of St Mary Magdalene, in nearby Bailgate. Part of the area of the Dean’s Green was also used as a burial ground for the cathedral, as were the many green spaces surrounding it.
The National Lottery-funded Connected project includes the delivery of vital restoration and renovation works to the iconic Lincoln Cathedral which is due to complete in 2022. The works will provide news spaces for all to enjoy, including a new visitor center, and will help to protect and safeguard the cathedral for generations to come.
Well-Preserved Medieval Brooch Discovered in England
The origins of a 1,100-year-old brooch found in a lorry-load of soil may be “a mystery” that is never solved, say archaeologists.
Experts at the British Museum say the brooch is of “national significance”
According to the archaeologists who think the brooch being discovered in a lorry full of soil means its original resting place will stay a mystery.
The valuable silver item dates back to the end of the 9th century. It was found in a field of Great Dunham, Norfolk, UK, when landscaping of a field was being developed.
The brooch was found in a lorry full of soil being used during the landscaping project. The landowner doesn’t know exactly where the soil came from.
It is not known where the soil came from, but experts say the find is similar to the nearby Pentney Hoard. The British Museum said the discovery was of “national importance”.
An inquest – the process by which the find may be officially declared treasure – has been opened in Norwich and will conclude on 9 June.
The brooch was found by an inexperienced detectorist on 9 May 2019, on just his third-day detecting.
He initially thought the piece was Victorian, but when archaeologists at Norfolk County Council were alerted they visited the scene to excavate further.
The design features stacked pots, similar to the Pentney brooches, and animals in the Trewhiddle style
During the dig, the team found a 19th Century plough buried beneath the level of the Saxon brooch, suggesting the brooch had been deposited from elsewhere.
The landowner said he had dumped topsoil on the field to level it, but did not know where the delivery had come from.
“He said he flagged down the occasional lorry,” said Steven Ashley, the council’s senior finds archaeologist.
“They wouldn’t have moved the soil very far, so it’s likely to be from central or west Norfolk somewhere.
“I think it would be very hard to trace the provenance of the brooch now. I think it will remain a mystery.”
‘National significance’
The brooch, about three inches (7cm) in diameter, features a cross with concave arms, over a saltire, and is decorated with animals in the Trewhiddle style, with a fastening pin on the back.
Mr Ashley said the “remarkable” piece had similarities to the Pentney Hoard, a find of six disc brooches in 1978 in West Norfolk.
“It looks to me that they were made by the same craftsman or in the same workshop,” he added. Prof Michael Lewis of the British Museum said it was “of national significance”.
He said the brooch was likely to have belonged to someone of “relatively high status” because of its high silver content.
