Archaeologists hail iron age object a ‘marvellous, internationally important find’
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Iron age gold coins go on disply in Market Harborough. Article from Leicestershire County Council’s website:
“This hoard of ten gold Iron Age coins was found in 2010 by Steve Bestwick whilst metal detecting on fields near Peatling Magna, in the District of Harborough. They will be displayed permanently at Harborough Museum from Tuesday 17 July 2012.
The coins were probably produced between 60-50 BC in Gallia Belgica, the Latin name for modern north western France and the Low Countries. They show a stylised horse moving right, surrounded by symbols on one side and are blank on the other.
These coins are slightly earlier than the majority of the coins in the Hallaton Treasure which is also displayed at Harborough Museum. It is rare to find hoards of early imported coins so far north, others are confined to East Anglia and the South East.”
Further info and images of the coins can be found on the Portable Antiquities Scheme
Leicestershire Museums Archaeological Fieldwork Group is looking for new members.
The group is co-ordinated by the county council’s archeological team and calls on the authority’s history experts to tell people about recent finds.
They hope that by expanding the group, it will encourage more people to take an interest in Leicestershire’s heritage.
For information, call 0116 265 8326 or download a form from:
www.leics.gov.uk/archaeological_fieldwork_group
The Group, in conjunction with Leicestershire County Council Museums Service archaeologists, holds regular lecture meetings, has its own Newsletter, “The Fieldworker” and provides training courses for beginners. Subscription is only £5 a year.
from the ‘Thisisleicestershire’ news site.
By Corinne Field 01/04/2004
Bones of a man and woman dating back to 3000BC have been found in a gravel pit in Leicestershire. The extraordinary find, including a skull, vertebrae and long bones, are the earliest human remains ever found in the county.
Not only that but a series of timber uprights for a footbridge dating back to AD500, remnants of the only early Anglo-Saxon bridge known in Britain, were uncovered at the same spot.
Both discoveries were made at a gravel quarry near Watermead Country Park, Birstall eight years ago by archaeologists from the University of Leicester but investigations and analysis of the finds have only just been completed.
Dr Patrick Clay, Director of University of Leicester Archaeological Services said, “This is a remarkable discovery literally from the jaws of the gravel excavators.”
For the full story, visit...
24hourmuseum.org.uk/nwh/ART20695.html
Leicestershire and Rutland in the First Millennium BC by Patrick Clay