This Chinese fire-breathing lion from Bermondsey Square is a very rare find!
Dating to the 18th-century, the stoneware figurine’s design includes a spiral-patterned mane, green and honey-yellow glazes, and a hollow body, thought to hold incense. When lit, smoke emerges from its mouth to transform it into a fire-breathing lion. Possibly made in Fujian or Guangdong, it reflects the British fascination with Chinese imports during the 18th century, when objects like this became very fashionable.
For this week’s #FindsFriday we have two fantastic coins of Cunobelin, dating to around AD 8-41.
The gold coin is a Cunobelinus Wild type quarter stater, depicting an ear of corn on one side and a horse on the other. Gold’s resistance to corrosion has helped preserve it, despite 2,000 years underground. The bronze coin is a Cunobelinus Centaur type unit, with a Romanised bust on one side and a centaur blowing a horn on the reverse. Its incredible state of preservation is thanks to its recovery from a waterlogged deposit—an anaerobic environment at the base of a watering hole. Most bronze coins from this site in Buckinghamshire show some corrosion, so finding one like this is a rare treat!
Former PCA employee Ellen Green has made the press with her PhD research on a bone assemblage found during 2015 excavations at a significant PCA site in Ewell, Surrey. Ellen has identified a remarkable Roman artefact: a 2,000-year-old dog’s penis bone (baculum) painted with red ochre.
Ellen said “This is the only example I could find of an actual penis being potentially used as a ritual object… In Roman culture, the penis had many associations, including being used as a good luck charm and to ward off the evil eye.”
(Photo courtesy of Ellen Green)
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The baculum was found in a 4m-deep quarry shaft, which was part of a broader complex that included evidence of Late Bronze to Early Iron Age settlement and early Roman quarrying activities. Approximately 300 human and animal remains were recovered from the shaft, predominantly small dogs like terriers or corgis. These remains, lacking signs of butchery, burning, or disease, suggest they were part of a ritual deposit; dogs are frequently found in ritualistic locations, often in shafts. Other features at the site included pre-Roman ditches, pits, and shafts, some of which, like the quarry shaft, appear to have served a ritualistic or symbolic function, possibly linked to religious beliefs or fertility practices.
Ellen undertook X-ray fluorescence analysis of the assemblage, which revealed that the baculum was coated in iron oxide, a substance not naturally found on the site. This indicates that the iron oxide was intentionally applied before the bone was placed in the quarry, supporting the theory that the object had symbolic or ritual significance.
.The site’s broader archaeological context—including other ritual deposits, like a neonatal burial and the remains of animals—suggests a link between these practices and Roman beliefs about fertility, abundance, and the agricultural cycle. The feature’s association with chalk quarrying further underscores its importance in the ancient landscape, potentially functioning as a site of veneration or symbolic significance tied to local deities, such as Succellus, a god of protection, and Nantosuelta, a goddess of nature and fertility. Succellus is frequently portrayed as being accompanied by a dog and Nantosuelta by a raven.
This discovery adds a new layer of understanding to the significance of the site, showing how the landscape itself played a central role in the worldview of its ancient inhabitants.
Congratulations Ellen for making the press with this fascinating research!
This drone footage provides a stunning glimpse of millennia of evolving land use in Leicestershire. Iron Age and Romano-British features revealed during investigations in Medbourne included ditches, gullies, pits, and post structures, highlighting the long-term agricultural use of the land into the early medieval period. These features suggest activity on the settlement’s outskirts, either just beyond the excavation area during the Iron Age or beneath the Roman small town of Medbourne. Nearby, a Roman villa and activity near the historic core of Medbourne further underline the area’s rich archaeology.
Last week, PCA had the pleasure of visiting St Thomas More Catholic First School to share the wonders of archaeology with their enthusiastic Year 3 students. Our archaeologist, Gareth Morgan, gave an engaging talk about the world of archaeology.
The highlight of the day was a hands-on session, where the students explored a variety of artefacts—from ancient pottery to a real dinosaur tooth! The excitement in the room was infectious, with both children and teachers eagerly examining the objects and asking insightful questions.
At PCA, we’re passionate about inspiring young minds and showcasing the value of archaeology in understanding our shared past. Seeing the curiosity and joy on these students’ faces reminds us of why we do what we do!
Kathy Davidson will speaking to The City of London Archaeological Society on Friday 15 November about PCA’s recent work at Newgate Street. This is a hybrid lecture – you can attend in person at St Olave’s Church, 8 Hart Street, London EC3R 7NB, or online through Zoom, you will receive the login information for the online meeting once you register:
The former GPO site on Newgate Street was one of the most significant excavations conducted by the DUA in the City of London during the 1970s. This key site revealed late Iron Age and early Roman buildings from early Londinium, late Saxon structures, and traces of medieval occupation. Additionally, it revealed remains of the 12th-century church of St Nicholas Shambles and its associated cemetery.
Archaeology at 81 Newgate Street, last day of site
The building constructed after the 1970s work was recently extended and its basement enlarged. Our team, led by Kathy Davidson, excavated the surviving archaeology over a trench measuring 25m by 4.5m. Surprisingly, there were no medieval burials, suggesting they might have been removed during 19th-century developments. However, we did discover human remains in an unexpected location.
The excavation revealed well-preserved sequences of medieval rubbish pits, extensive Roman buildings, and early 1st-century AD quarries. Evidence from the Roman phases strongly suggests that smiths were working either on-site or nearby, which will be a focal point for further investigation and publication.
This week’s #FindsFriday is an unfinished Neolithic axe from Suffolk, known as a preform. There’s an issue with its butt end (the top part) which meant that, despite being nearly complete, it couldn’t be finished.
Fascinatingly, the face in the right-hand image shows around three undeveloped points of percussion from being struck hard. It’s tempting to imagine the knapper, realising the flaw, took a few frustrated whacks at it!
There’s a great lineup at the LAF this autumn – with presentations on topics ranging from the Ice Age to the Georgian period. And the winner of the prestigious London Archaeological Prize – the ‘publication prize’ – for works published in 2022/2023 will also be announced.
When: Monday, November 18 from 6-7:30pm GMT
Where: UCL Institute of Archaeology, 31-34 Gordon Square, London WC1H 0PY
Booking is free and anyone with an interest in London’s archaeology is very welcome. Register for your place before 1pm on 18th November.
Matt Pope, Associate Professor at the Institute of Archaeology, will discuss London’s Ice Age archaeology and environments. He will explore the rich record of Greater London’s Ice Age past through key sites and the history of their discovery, from first recorded Palaeolithic tool to be found through to recent professional commercial excavations. He’ll also consider evidence for how London’s landscape was shaped by ice and water, and how early human populations adapted, or not, to the dramatic cycles of climate change evidenced in the gravels and clays of the city’s deep past.
Alistair Douglas, Senior Archaeologist and Health and Safety Manager at Pre-Construct Archaeology, will report on PCA’s recent archaeological Investigations on and around Bermondsey Square in Southwark. He’ll focus on the period before the foundation of Bermondsey Priory (later abbey) including tantalizing evidence of Iron Age, Roman and Saxon settlement of Bermondsey.
John Schofield, who has worked at former Museum of London and as Consultant Archaeologist to St Paul’s, has written extensively about the archaeology of the City, most recently London’s Waterfront 1666 to 1800 and its World. He will describe waterfront excavations of 1974-84 that revealed post-Great Fire buildings and intriguing aspects of London’s crucial involvement in slavery: cowrie shells, found in the floor levels of warehouses near Billingsgate of around 1700.
Alison Telfer of MOLA is on the committee of London Archaeologist and coordinates the administration of the London Archaeological Prize, awarded biennially for the best publication of the preceding two years. She will be announcing the winner and awarding the prize at the LAF.
Mark Hinman will be presenting alongside Charlotte Lockwood at the upcoming CAS Autumn Conference in Cambridge. They will discuss their recent excavations of an extraordinary early Saxon settlement at Great Chesterford. The site offers invaluable insights into early medieval life, and Mark and Charlotte look forward to sharing their findings.
The conference will take place on Saturday 9th November at Cripps Court Magdalene College, Cambridge.
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