Recent Finds
Three Celtic coins in a Roman ditch and what they might tell us
Three Celtic coins recovered together from a Roman ditch in Hertfordshire are raising some interesting questions about how Iron Age coinage continued to circulate into the early Roman period. They are copies of Gallo-Belgic C staters issued by the Ambiani of northern Gaul, dated to 100–60 BC. These coins are among the earliest gold coins…
Read MoreRare Palaeolithic Handaxe Recovered from Glacial Deposits in Suffolk
This heart-shaped axe, stained deep red, may already have been old long before being swept into Ice Age deposits around half a million years ago. It’s a heavily rolled Lower–Middle Palaeolithic biface, probably a handaxe, recovered close to the surface of the natural geology in Suffolk. It has the classic lenticular to cordiform form, with one…
Read MoreThe Norfolk Boar Standard
This fierce boar’s face was the first indication on site that the hoard featured this week on Digging for Britain was something out of the ordinary. What survives is the sheet-bronze head of a boar standard, part of a fully three-dimensional figure mounted on a pole or pedestal and used as a military or…
Read MoreSeeing the Norfolk Carnyx on Screen
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…
Read MoreThat moment
When the scale of what you’ve uncovered starts to sink in. The Norfolk Carnyx and Iron Age hoard will feature on Digging for Britain tonight, showing how this remarkable discovery was made, from first recognition in the trench to understanding why it matters. 📺 Digging for Britain, BBC Two, tonight at 9pm Also available on…
Read MoreThe Norfolk Iron Age Hoard in The Guardian
A thoughtful piece in The Guardian this week explores the discovery of the Norfolk Iron Age hoard, including the near-complete carnyx uncovered during PCA’s excavation. Following a week of wide national and international headlines, the article offers useful context around the hoard, its wider significance, and how it fits within what we know of Late…
Read MoreThe Norfolk Carnyx on Digging for Britain
You’ll be able to see more of the Norfolk Carnyx and the wider Iron Age hoard on Digging for Britain this Wednesday on BBC Two. We’re delighted to see the story of this discovery shared on Digging for Britain. It’s been fascinating to watch how things have unfolded over the past week, and the programme…
Read MoreThe Norfolk Carnyx: Finds Friday
For today’s Finds Friday, a closer look at one of the most striking pieces from the Iron Age hoard discovered by PCA: the Norfolk carnyx. The carnyx was a tall, animal-headed war horn, played upright so its sound could carry across the landscape. It wasn’t just a musical instrument, but a tool of psychological warfare,…
Read MoreInternationally Significant Iron Age Hoard Discovered in Norfolk
Pre-Construct Archaeology led the excavation in West Norfolk that revealed an internationally significant Iron Age hoard. The discovery includes rare components of Iron Age carnyces, dramatic animal-headed battle trumpets, alongside a boar-headed standard, shield bosses and other associated metalwork. Finds of this kind are exceptionally rare in Britain and across Europe. Following discovery, the hoard…
Read MoreTower of London Discoveries Featured in National Geographic
We’re delighted to see PCA’s work at the Tower of London featured in National Geographic! It’s always exciting when the stories we help uncover reach such a wide audience. This #FindsFriday, we’re sharing one of the most tantalising discoveries from the site, a pair of medieval funerary incense pots (c.1150–1250). As Alfred Hawkins, Curator, says…
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