Posted by: Blog Administrator
on Feb 21, 2012
The Archaeology team from the History Centre have been involved with excavating two exciting new finds in the last few months.
In October last year a metal detectorist working on farm land in the south west of Wiltshire discovered a bronze spearhead. Realising the significance of what he had a found, and the possibility of more still buried under the surface, he contact Katie Hind, the Finds Liaison Officer for the Portable Antiquities Scheme, who is based at Salisbury Museum. Katie, together with staff from the Archaeology team and the finder went back to the site and carefully excavated the spot where the object has first been discovered. At first it was thought there may be a handful of bronze objects buried as a “hoard” or grouped deposit of artefacts buried at some point in the past by someone who intended to come back to it (a prehistoric form of banking!). As the day went on we were amazed and delighted to find a deep deposit of bronze objects place one on top of the other, 114 of them in total! (see photo 1).What was really surprising and unusual was the great diversity of object types . The hoard consisted of tools (axe heads, chisels, sickles, gouges) and weapons (spearheads, daggers, knives, swords and scabbard fittings). They were all made from copper alloy and came out in good condition.
Posted by: Blog Administrator
on Dec 21, 2011
Archaeologists from Thames Valley Archaeological Services (TVAS) unearthed the grave of a warrior in 2008, who died at around the time of the Roman conquest in AD43.
Excavations, led by Andy Taylor of TVAS, have been taking place in advance of a new housing development on behalf of Berkeley Homes (Southern) Limited and Persimmon Homes (South Coast) Limited. The archaeological work is took place as a requirement of the planning process with the archaeological officer (Mark Taylor) of West Sussex County Council advising the District Council as to what is required.
Posted by: Blog Administrator
on Feb 22, 2011
Tagged in:
Wiltshire Archaeology Service ,
Wiltshire & Swindon History Centre ,
Wessex Archaeology ,
storage pits ,
soils ,
snails ,
site ,
sink-hole ,
section ,
Romano-British ,
Roman Road ,
posthole alignment; a Neolithic ,
post-medieval ,
planning permission ,
pit ,
Persimmon Homes South Coast ,
Neolithic ,
Modern ,
Ministry of Defence ,
Medieval ,
last Ice Age ,
Iron Age ,
horse ,
History ,
glaciation ,
geological ,
gaming counters ,
flints ,
Features ,
excavations ,
enclosure ,
Durrington ,
ditches ,
developments ,
defensive ,
cremations ,
Conquest ,
chalk ,
burial ,
Bronze Age ,
archaeology ,
Archaeologists
Archaeologists from the Wiltshire Archaeology Service, which is based in the History Centre, have been involved with agreeing and monitoring work at Durrington that has revealed important remains from the Ice Age through to the modern period. The site had been home to buildings and staff of the Ministry of Defence (and its predecessors) since the 19th century. Excavations on the site (which are still going on) have shown, however, that its history goes back even further. The site is still being excavated by Wessex Archaeology on behalf of Persimmon Homes South Coast as part of their planning permission.
