It was fantastic to see the Norfolk Carnyx and Iron Age hoard on Digging for Britain last night!
The programme traced the story from first glimpse on site through to the careful work of understanding what exactly the hoard contained, how the artefacts relate to one another, and why they’re so important. As Alice Roberts noted, the hoard includes two of the rarest objects in the archaeological record of the Iron Age: a near-complete carnyx and the first boar standard to be found in the UK.
Objects like these were made to be seen and heard. With their fierce animal faces and imposing scale, they projected power and identity, forming part of a wider language of symbolism and psychological warfare.
Many thanks to the Digging for Britain team, and to our partners at Historic England, Norfolk Museums Service and National Museums Scotland. We’ll be sharing more as conservation and research continue.
