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USA Today
06-04-2025
- Science
- USA Today
Iron Age archaeological find: British 'bling' from 2,000 years ago included horse harnesses
Iron Age archaeological find: British 'bling' from 2,000 years ago included horse harnesses The Melsonby Hoard, a collection of more than 800 Iron Age artifacts found in northeast England, suggests Britons in the region were richer and more mobile than previously thought, archaeologists say. Show Caption Hide Caption Impressive Iron Age discovery uncovers hundreds of ancient items Hundreds of objects dating back around 2,000 years were discovered by Durham University archaeologists in Malsonby, the United Kingdom. Ancient England had more "bling" than historians have given them credit for. That is the conclusion archaeologists drew from a cache of more than 800 Iron Age artifacts from northeast England dating back about 2,000 years ago. Found in a field near Melsonby, North Yorkshire in December 2021, The Melsonby Hoard consists of metal artifacts, including horse harnesses, chariots, tires, ceremonial spears and a pair of cauldrons. 'The Melsonby Hoard is of a scale and size that is exceptional for Britain and probably even Europe," said Tom Moore, a professor and head of the Department of Archaeology at Durham University in the U.K., just north of Melsonby. 'Unusually it includes lots of pieces of vehicles and items such as the wine mixing bowl which is decorated in both Mediterranean and Iron Age styles," said Moore in a description of the collection on the Yorkshire Museum website. "Whoever originally owned the material in this hoard was probably a part of a network of elites across Britain, into Europe and even the Roman world." Archaeological find suggests Iron Age Britons had connections in Europe Metal detectorist Peter Heads located the artifacts in December 2021 while exploring a field with the landowner's permission. Durham University's archaeologists excavated the site in 2022. Some of the discovered artifacts are on display at the Yorkshire Museum amid a fundraising campaign to acquire the collection and prevent it from going to a private sale. "By acquiring the hoard we will be able to make it accessible to everyone and, working in partnership with others, we can learn more about this fascinating period, why the hoard was buried, how the objects may have been used and to cast light on to whom it may have belonged," said Andrew Woods, head of collections and research at the Yorkshire Museum in a statement. The museum hopes to raise enough funds to keep the collection, valued at about $327,000. The items date from the first century B.C., about the time of the Roman conquest under Emperor Claudius, Duncan Garrow, professor of archaeology at the University of Reading, said in a description of the find on the Durham University website. At the time, that area was dominated by the Brigantes, a tribe whose name means "hill people". "The presence of materials imported from the Mediterranean, and a type of continental European wagon new to Britain, challenges the idea that Iron Age Britons were isolated," Garrow said. "Instead, it tells us that 'wealthy' Iron Age people in northern England had contacts extending out across Europe." What do the artifacts' condition symbolize? Many of the found artifacts were burnt or broken, which suggests "a symbolic process of people showing how wealthy and powerful they were by being able to destroy the objects," according to the Yorkshire Museum. "They might have been burnt on a funerary pyre before being buried, but no human remains were found." Some objects resemble others found in Britain, while some match artifacts found in Europe, which suggests "long distance connections and shared technology at the time," the museum says. The horse harnesses, part of the collection, had bits of Mediterranean coral embedded and would have been "really bright and brassy with blue glass beads and coral," Adam Parker, curator of archaeology at the Yorkshire Museum, told the BBC. "It just bumps up the power and prestige of these tribal groups in North Yorkshire and it makes them even more glamorous," Parker said. "These are really fancy Iron Age chariots. These are absolute bling – they are garish" and would have served as "a show and display of wealth." Mike Snider is a reporter on USA TODAY's Trending team. You can follow him on Threads, Bluesky, X and email him at mikegsnider & @ & @mikesnider & msnider@ What's everyone talking about? Sign up for our trending newsletter to get the latest news of the day
BBC News
01-04-2025
- Business
- BBC News
York Museums Trust unable to afford venue repairs
The charity that runs a trio of York museums is at a "a critical juncture of its existence", a report has warned. The report from the York Museum Trust - which manages the Yorkshire Museum, York Castle Museum and York Art Gallery - said its current cash reserves covered less than two months of operating costs. The report stated trust was unable to afford improvements to the facilities, including urgently-needed repairs of the Yorkshire Museum's roof, which remained unfunded after it missed out on a £5m Arts Council bid. The report stated: "With continued are relying on a £1m letter of credit from the council, which is supporting us as a last resort." It added: "The council and the Trust are working together to look at the Trust's funding model, to ensure all venues can continue to meet the expectation of visitors and protect the generation of income."The Trust is set to end the financial year with an £111,000 deficit, up from £54,000 in 2023-4, according to the Local Democracy Reporting Service. This year's budget is set at £321,000, which accounts for falling visitor numbers, with the council giving £300,000 to the trust annually - down from £600,000 in 2015 and £1.1m in figures showed York Castle Museum's visitor numbers for 2024-25 were forecast to be 234,650 by March, up from 209,235 in the previous was compared to the overall total for the Castle Museum, Yorkshire Museum and York Art Gallery, which fell from 406,014 in 2023-4 to 386,500 in are set to discuss the report at the Children, Culture and Communities Scrutiny Committee on Tuesday. Listen to highlights from North Yorkshire on BBC Sounds, catch up with the latest episode of Look North.
BBC News
30-03-2025
- General
- BBC News
Melsonby Hoard: Iron Age 'bling' shows wealth of northern tribes
A hoard of Iron Age "bling" unearthed in North Yorkshire was a "garish" display of wealth from tribes more powerful than previously thought, an archaeologist has Adam Parker from the Yorkshire Museum said the ornate decorations on artefacts found in the Melsonby Hoard, including Mediterranean coral, suggested international said the hoard, which was discovered in a field outside Melsonby by metal detectorist Peter Heads, showed the people who buried it "had a lot more clout than we thought they did"."It just bumps up the power and prestige of these tribal groups in North Yorkshire and it makes them even more glamorous," he said. Speaking about some of the artefacts uncovered, Dr Parker said: "These are really fancy Iron Age chariots."These are absolute bling - they are garish."It's a show and display of wealth."Historians believe the Melsonby Hoard to be one of the largest and most important Iron Age finds in the UK, which could lead to a "major re-evaluation" of the wealth and status of the elite living in northern Britain at the Emerick from English Heritage said the hoard "isn't just nationally important - it's internationally important".The metal detectorist who discovered the hoard declined to be interviewed, a spokesperson for Durham University told the BBC. What is the Melsonby Hoard? The Melsonby Hoard, which was excavated with the help of Durham University, includes more than 800 items believed to have been buried about 2,000 years the hoard are the partial remains of more than seven wagons and chariots, along with two cauldrons or vessels, horse harnesses, bridle bits and ceremonial Parker said the "fancy horse harnesses" found in the hoard would have been "really bright and brassy with blue glass beads and coral" and they were "meant to be garish" as a display of wealth."We are blown away with the amount of coral in this hoard," he Parker explained that the burial of these valuable items, many of which had been broken or burnt beforehand, was "like an act of worship to somebody quite powerful like a deity". Mr Emerick said one of the two cauldrons discovered, which is decorated in both Mediterranean and Iron Age styles, was thought to be a wine mixer."We have some material from other chariot burials but nothing of the quality we have got here," he said.A selection of horse-related objects from the hoard went on display at the Yorkshire Museum in York on 25 March and will remain there for 10 weeks. Tribal queen 'staved off Roman invasion' The site where the Melsonby Hoard was discovered is close to what was the largest Iron Age hill fort in the north of England, at fort, located near Richmond, was then the royal capital of Cartimandua, queen of the Brigantes Stanwick Hoard, uncovered there in 1845 and comprising 140 metal artefacts including a bronze horse head mask, could be related to the Melsonby Hoard, Mr Emerick Brigantes, meaning hill people, was a name given by the Romans to those who occupied much of what would become northern who ruled from around AD 43, was the first documented queen to reign in part of the British Isles, English Heritage and her husband Venutius formed an alliance with the Romans, thereby staving off an invasion during the early years of the Roman divorced, however, and Venutius, who had anti-Roman supporters, capitalised on Roman instability in AD 69 to become king. The Roman invasion of the north then began. What is the Melsonby Hoard worth? The hoard, which is legally categorised as treasure, has been valued at £254, will be sold and the proceeds will be split between the landowner and the metal detectorist who unearthed Yorkshire Museum has first refusal on the hoard and has launched a Parker said the team had around three months in which to raise the £500,000 required for the purchase and to cover the cost of conservation work. What other Iron Age sites have been found in Yorkshire? A number of Iron Age sites have been discovered in the European Iron Age began around 800 BC and ran until the Roman conquest, which was the year AD 43 in people lived on farms or in small villages in homes called roundhouses, but others stayed in larger settlements such as the hill fort in craftsmen used advanced techniques to make highly decorated metal objects like the chariots found in Melsonby. Another Iron Age site involving a chariot and horse burials was discovered on a housing development around Pocklington in 2014. Archaeologists also discovered around 75 graves, including the remains of a "young warrior", as well as swords, spears and shields.A large chariot burial site was found in Wetwang in the Wolds of East Yorkshire, with a number of excavations carried out there between the 1960s and Age settlements were also discovered in Aldborough, near Boroughbridge and in Foston, near York, which was partially excavated in the 1980s. Listen to highlights from North Yorkshire on BBC Sounds, catch up with the latest episode of Look North.
Yahoo
25-03-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Archaeologists stunned by one of Britain's biggest Iron Age hoards which could rewrite history
It began, as many great discoveries do, with a metal detectorist and a lucky beep. In December 2021, Peter Heads stumbled upon what would turn out to be one of the largest and most significant Iron Age finds ever made in Britain: the Melsonby Hoard. Now, after meticulous excavation and research, archaeologists have unveiled a collection of more than 800 objects found by Heads near the village of Melsonby in North Yorkshire, England. The exact location is being kept secret. "Quite simply, this is one of the most important and exciting Iron Age period discoveries made in the UK. It sheds new light on Iron Age life in the north and Britain, but it also demonstrates connections with Europe," says Duncan Wilson, the Chief Executive of Historic England. Related Archaeologists discover oldest section of China's Great Wall, dating back nearly 3,000 years The Bashiri mystery: A 2,300-year-old Egyptian mummy that no archaeologist dares to open Described by experts as an 'archaeological time capsule,' the hoard is thought to have been buried in the first century AD, coinciding with the Roman conquest of southern Britain. Among the finds are the partial remains of at least seven four-wheeled wagons and two-wheeled chariots, an unusual discovery for Iron Age Britain. The harnesses, some complete with Mediterranean coral and coloured glass, suggest an elite class whose wealth and status were communicated through opulent transport and elaborate rituals. According to Dr Sophia Adams, a curator at the British Museum: 'This is the largest single deposit of horse harness and vehicle parts excavated in Britain. It is significant not just for the quantity of objects buried together 2,000 years ago but also the quality and range of items." Also discovered in the find were three ceremonial spears, carefully wrapped together in a bundle, as well as 28 iron tyres and two ornate cauldrons or vessels. One of these, a lidded vessel, was likely used as a wine-mixing bowl and had been deliberately buried at the bottom of a large ditch. Other items include cast copper alloy bridle bits, linchpins and rein rings. But it's not just the number of objects that has amazed researchers - it is their condition. Many were deliberately broken or burned before burial, a ritual that raises intriguing questions about Iron Age society. Was this an ostentatious display of power? A funerary rite? Or an offering to the gods? The find has also reignited debate over Britain's connections to continental Europe before the Roman conquest. While some objects match those previously unearthed in Britain, others have clear European parallels, hinting at extensive trade networks and shared technologies. Valued at £254,000 (€304,000), the Melsonby Hoard is the focus of a new fundraising campaign by the Yorkshire Museum in York, aiming to make it available for public viewing.
Telegraph
25-03-2025
- General
- Telegraph
Iron Age hoard shows the North was richer than everyone thought
A newly discovered Iron Age hoard has revealed that the North of England was conspicuously wealthy 2,000 years ago. The British Museum and Durham University have announced the discovery of a major find in Melsonby, North Yorkshire. The 'Melsonby Hoard' consists of more than 800 items, including four and two-wheel chariots driven by the Iron Age elite. Archaeological work at the site, first stumbled upon by detectorist Peter Heads in 2021, has unearthed remains of an unprecedented set of seven vehicles. Digs have also unearthed metal fittings for even more chariots, along with ornate spears, cauldrons and other trinkets affordable only to the extremely wealthy. Many artefacts show rare evidence of having been gathered together and burnt on a pyre, suggesting that rulers in the North quite literally had money to burn. The archaeological consensus has generally held that the North was not as economically connected or prosperous as the South of England at the beginning of the Roman period. Prof Tom Moore, head of the department of archaeology at Durham University, said: 'The Melsonby Hoard is of a scale and size that is exceptional for Britain and probably even Europe. 'Whoever originally owned the material in this hoard was probably a part of a network of elites across Britain, into Europe and even the Roman world. 'The destruction of so many high-status objects, evident in this hoard, is also of a scale rarely seen in Iron Age Britain and demonstrates that the elites of Northern Britain were just as powerful as their Southern counterparts.' Dr Sophia Adams, of the British Museum, told The Telegraph: 'This vast collection of high-quality products was deliberately damaged and buried even though they were in a useable condition. 'To take such wealth out of circulation suggests the process of breaking and burying was important to the community and perhaps to the veneration of an individual.' She added that no human remains had been found on the site with the treasures, suggesting that the fire was not funerary but served some other purpose. Artefacts at the site date back to when the Roman Empire was establishing a permanent presence in Britain. Roman influences had already opened up the South of Britain to new luxuries and fashions enjoyed by the elite. While the Melsonby finds show that Northern rulers enjoyed vast wealth in their own right, they may have lagged behind when it came to fashion. Restraints for ponies found at the site show that they were devoted with coral, a preferred ornament which officials believe went out of fashion further south about a century before the dates of the Melsonby Hoard. The site has been slowly excavated by a Durham team since 2022, with advice from the British Museum. The Yorkshire Museum is now launching a fundraising campaign to buy the hoard for display. Dr Andrew Woods, senior curator at the Yorkshire Museum, said: 'This Iron Age hoard is an unprecedented find in the North which will help us to understand more about this remarkable period in our history. We have the exciting opportunity to save the hoard for the nation and the people of Yorkshire.'
