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Giant Spider Conch

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This large conch shell was recently found in a 19th- or early 20th-century deposit at a site in Shadwell, E1W. It’s been identified as a Giant Spider Conch (Lambis truncata truncata), a subspecies found in the tropical and subtropical Indian Ocean. At 34cm long, this specimen is close to the species’ maximum size of around 40cm.

Large exotic shells like this have been collected for centuries, valued as souvenirs and decorative items. In Victorian Britain, there was a particular enthusiasm for shell collecting, then known as conchology, which became a fashionable hobby and decorative trend. Some collections were modest, others extravagant, including the shell grottoes found in the gardens of country houses and seaside resorts. While many used locally sourced shells, the growing reach of empire and trade networks meant exotic specimens became increasingly accessible by the 19th century.

The location of the find, close to the East End docks, suggests a few possibilities. It could have been a memento from a sailor, or part of a domestic collection. Charles Jamrach, a well-known dealer in exotic animals and curiosities, ran a shop on nearby St George Street (now The Highway). Alongside live creatures, he sold shells and other natural specimens to satisfy Victorian tastes for the exotic.

Mesolithic Tranchet Axe

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This week’s #FindsFriday is a Mesolithic tranchet axe from a site near Chichester.

Tranchet axes were essential tools in the Mesolithic, used for woodworking and other daily tasks. This one was found in a pit beside four parallel curvilinear features dating to the Early Bronze Age. 

The site revealed evidence of thousands of years of activity, with features from the Neolithic through to the Roman period. Among the Early Iron Age remains were structures, a large posthole and ditch enclosure, and a well. A landscape shaped and reshaped over time, with this axe as a small trace of its earliest inhabitants.

Silver Fibula

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This week’s #FindsFriday is a silver fibula brooch from a Roman rubbish pit in Gloucestershire. The same pit yielded a wealth of finds, including Roman pottery, animal bone, and ceramic building material, alongside a small copper alloy pin and two pieces of copper alloy wire. Initially, patches of verdigris from the copper objects clung to the brooch’s surface, leading us to believe it was copper alloy too. But to our delight, a gentle clean with a dry brush revealed the silver beneath!

Iron Age antler pick

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This week’s #FindsFriday is an antler pick, a tool most commonly associated with the Neolithic period, where they were used to quarry stone and dig the ground for the construction of monuments like Stonehenge. However, this example from Suffolk was found in a pit alongside late Iron Age pottery.

In the Neolithic period, antler picks were sometimes deliberately placed as sacred deposits at the end of their use. While it’s possible that this pick was a found and curated object, it’s more likely that they continued to be used for agricultural or horticultural tasks during the Iron Age. Although antler picks are rare finds from this period, examples have been discovered at Iron Age hillforts like Danebury and Maiden Castle. This recent find provides important evidence of how such tools may have persisted into the Iron Age in Britain.

Find of the Week

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Here’s Timothy, from the team working at the Tower of London, with a medieval gunstone – what a place to find one!

This roughly shaped stone projectile was probably destined for a cannon, but since bore sizes varied, it would have been finished to fit the chosen gun. Gunstones were a vital part of medieval warfare, and finding one within the walls of one of the world’s most famous fortresses provides a compelling glimpse into its defensive past.

Coins of Cunobelin

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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!

Neolithic Frustration?

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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!

Roman Winchester’s Southern Cemetery

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Today, we’re excited to share a glimpse into Roman Winchester’s southern cemetery, where recent work has revealed an intriguing burial assemblage. The black vessel held a cremation and it was found with two bow brooches and two Samian dishes — one of which served as a protective lid over the cremation. This site has also revealed several inhumations. Though the cemetery along the Roman road is relatively well-known, each find continues to add new insights into burial customs and personal belongings of the time. #FindsFriday

A Rare Discovery

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#FindsFriday This week we have an exciting find – a silver minim of Caratacus, known as a Caratacus Car type, dating c. 40-43. Caratacus was one of the sons of Cunobelin and one of the rulers who fought against the incoming Romans.

Only one example of this coin was previously known, so this is only the second known example! The obverse has the letters CAR while the reverse depicts an eagle with three pellets. This remarkable find comes from an assemblage of Celtic coinage retrieved during recent excavations in Buckinghamshire.

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