Fortune-telling die among castle's quirky finds
Archaeologists at Auckland Castle in Bishop Auckland, County Durham, finally put down their trowels last Friday, ending more than seven years of excavations at the site.
A detailed analysis of the findings, which could take up to two years, is currently under way.
The final summer of digging culminated with the discovery of a huge medieval wall, but other interesting objects - from mundane to magical - have also been found since 2018.
At least three medieval toilets have been found over the years "dotted around the site" according to John Castling, the Auckland Project's archaeology curator.
"One is ironically very near to where the toilets are now for our visitors," he said.
The latest one was found in June.
The facility, known as a garderobe, is next to the Great Hall, where the bishops and their guests would have feasted.
It might not seem particularly hygienic today, but at the time it was a "much cleaner way" than most people had in their houses, Mr Castling said.
"It's demonstrating the power and importance of the bishops and their households."
It is believed the toilets were last used in the 13th Century.
Described as one of the most "rare and unusual" findings at the site, a whale baleen was discovered "sandwiched" between off cuts of 17th Century glass.
Baleen is found inside the mouths of some whale species and is used instead of teeth to help filter prey.
If a whale washed up on a nearby shore, it was claimed by the bishop as a token of their semi-regal status but also as a resource, Mr Castling said.
The baleen was used in a similar way to modern day solid plastics and was put in items such as corsets, painting brushes and gauntlets.
"In the modern world we tend to think of whales as beautiful creatures that are not a resource," Mr Castling said.
"But in the medieval period they were viewed with a degree of reverence, but they were also seen as a resource that could be used if it washed up on the shore."
A jet die was also found, but it was not used to play games.
Instead, in the medieval period people believed the item could help predict the future.
Mr Castling said there were not many similar dice in the UK and most were found in religious sites.
When rubbed, jet sparks and gives off static.
"When you first say to people, they had dice which they used in order to try and discern the future, that sounds completely alien to our modern rational world," Mr Castling said.
"But it produces something that feels magical."
Some items at the site have travelled from further afield.
Archaeologists have found a 17th Century knife, believed to have come from Amsterdam, as well as French jettons, coin-type objects used in calculations.
An amphora though to originate from south-west Spain was also discovered last summer.
Follow BBC North East on X, Facebook, Nextdoor and Instagram.
Surprise wall find as years of excavations end
Uncovered 1650s house captures 'a moment in time'
Durham University
The Auckland Project
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
15 hours ago
- Yahoo
Bishop third woman to take on role in Crediton
The Right Reverend Moira Astin has been ordained as the new Bishop of Crediton, the third consecutive female bishop of the area. The move is thought to be the first time a woman has been bishop three consecutive times in the Church of England, said a Diocese of Exeter spokesperson. Bishop Astin, who succeeds Sarah Mullally and Jackie Searle in the role, serves Devon, but has a particular care for North Devon, mid Devon and East Devon. She said after the ceremony at St Paul's Cathedral in London: "It's been just lovely having my friends and my future friends around me, but most of all, this is a service where God was present, and that's the key." Bishop Astin said she was "looking forward to those journeys alongside people". She said: "My priorities, number one is praying with people - it seems so obvious doesn't it, clergy prayer with people, but when we stop praying we then just become another organisation. "My second priority is to encourage... and thirdly, I want to get to know people." More news stories for Devon Listen to the latest news for Devon Bishop Astin said the King had to approve her appointment into the role. She said: "I have not yet met the King and he does this with advice from his counsellors, but they advised him that this was an appropriate move so he decided to have me appointed. "In the ordination service that I had on Thursday a letter from the King was read out to say that this is what he wants." Follow BBC Devon on X, Facebook and Instagram. Send your story ideas to spotlight@ Diocese of Exeter New Bishop aware of Devon's 'challenges' Bishop announces plans to step down in 2025 New Bishop officially welcomed to Devon
Yahoo
17 hours ago
- Yahoo
The great composer who was an organist at Worcester Cathedral
LAST month marked the anniversary of the death of a great composer who lived on College Green. A blue plaque marks this fact. It's not Sir Edward Elgar, who we celebrate annually with an Elgar Festival, but a lesser-known man called Thomas Tomkins. Tomkins died in 1656 aged 84. More: Let's celebrate the class of 2025! More of your Year 11 prom photos More: Forwarded letter's key role for diamond wedding couple More: Group feeling good after grant boost He was the organist of our great Worcester Cathedral between 1596 and 1646. Tomkins did a vast amount of things during his long life and was deeply saddened by the damage he witnessed during the English Civil Wars, especially to the city and the organ inside the cathedral. And 2025 is Play the Organ Year, a campaign organised by the Royal College of Organists to celebrate the pipe organ and its powerful music. Something Tomkins would have embraced and given his seal of approval to. When our magnificent cathedral was first built in the seventh century, organ music was literally unheard of. The first reference to an organ in Worcester dates to the 13th century when another man called 'Thomas the Organist' witnessed a simple deed. We also see wages set aside to pay the organist Ricardi Greene in the 15th century and hear of an organ being located in the Lady Chapel of the cathedral. By the 16th century the cathedral had several organs, including one purchased by Robert Alchurch. These sat in numerous locations including the Choir, St Edmund's Chapel and St George's Chapel. Sadly, this period would also see major damage to the cathedral and its organs. The radical Protestant reformer Bishop Hooper arrived in Worcester in 1552 and this led to the dismantling of at least three of these precious organs. However, following the death of the young King Edward VI, his sister Mary reigned and began to reverse some of the changes. She ordered the arrest of Bishop Hooper who was subsequently burned at the stake in the shadow of Gloucester Cathedral, having been found guilty of heresy in February 1555. During this period the Dean wrote to Cardinal Pole, Queen Mary's chief minister, asking for money to restore the cathedral and its organs. The letter said: 'Where our churche is greatly down our belles and organs be broken our altars and chapelles are by Hooper violated and overthrown'. In 1613 Tomkins personally oversaw the installation of a new organ against the choir screen. This was built by Thomas Dallam, costing £381.2s.8d — about £750,000 today. This organ would be badly damaged by parliament forces during the English Civil Wars. Tomkins tried hard to dismantle this organ to prevent further damage to it. Thomas Habington described what it looked like: 'At the west end and highest ascent into the quire is mounted alofte a most faire and excellent organ adorned with imperiall crownes, red roses, includinge the white flowredeluses, pomgranades, being all Royall badges. Towardes the topp are towe stars, with the one, W. Parry, Episcopus; with the other, A. Luke, Decanus; and written aboute the Organ, By the meditation and mediation of Thomas Tomkins.' A new organ was eventually constructed by Thomas Harris with further improvements being made by Hill & Sons in the 19th century. This company would go on to build two more, all being powered by water. The water had to be piped in using extensive new plumbing. This involved digging up some of the graveyard of St Michael's Church. The rector of St Michael's that stood in front of the cathedral wrote to the Dean because 'the pipes were laid without his permission'. In 1894 Robert Hope-Jones rebuilt the two water-powered organs as one large organ for just over £2,000. This new organ was powered by a gas engine and rotary blower. This was housed in a building next to the south wall of the choir near St John's Chapel. In 1921, now powered by electricity, the organ was proving very problematic. Arthur Harrison said: 'The organ generally was in a deplorable condition, only a very small portion of it being usable. Almost the whole of the electric mechanism was in an advanced state of decay and short circuits were to be found in almost every direction. The builder of the organ had not had much practical organ building experience. The idea of the mechanism was good but the method of carrying it out was defective.' This organ, despite some modernisation and major repairs, was played until the millennium. The decorative case and pipes designed by George Gilbert Scott can still be seen today near the exit of the crypt. Today the new organ is housed in a case at triforium level on the north side of the quire. This was built by Kenneth Tickell and finished in 2008. Currently on display near the crypt exit is the Handel Organ. This beautiful survivor was built in 1667 by Ralph Dallam for Oxford University Music School. It was rebuilt in 1774 by Samuel Green and donated to the cathedral in 1937. Further restoration work took place on this historic piece in the 1980s by Peter Wood. In a year we celebrate the organ we would highly recommend taking a break from the busy lives we lead and sitting in the cool of the cathedral to listen to one of the organs. Do look out for both the free and paid organ recitals. It's hard to imagine the cathedral without music and its beautiful organs. Our columnist Paul Harding runs Discover History which offers hands-on learning of the county's history.
Yahoo
21 hours ago
- Yahoo
Fortune-telling die among castle's quirky finds
A medieval toilet and a jet die used to predict the future were some of the findings that could help build a picture of everyday life at a medieval bishop's palace. Archaeologists at Auckland Castle in Bishop Auckland, County Durham, finally put down their trowels last Friday, ending more than seven years of excavations at the site. A detailed analysis of the findings, which could take up to two years, is currently under way. The final summer of digging culminated with the discovery of a huge medieval wall, but other interesting objects - from mundane to magical - have also been found since 2018. At least three medieval toilets have been found over the years "dotted around the site" according to John Castling, the Auckland Project's archaeology curator. "One is ironically very near to where the toilets are now for our visitors," he said. The latest one was found in June. The facility, known as a garderobe, is next to the Great Hall, where the bishops and their guests would have feasted. It might not seem particularly hygienic today, but at the time it was a "much cleaner way" than most people had in their houses, Mr Castling said. "It's demonstrating the power and importance of the bishops and their households." It is believed the toilets were last used in the 13th Century. Described as one of the most "rare and unusual" findings at the site, a whale baleen was discovered "sandwiched" between off cuts of 17th Century glass. Baleen is found inside the mouths of some whale species and is used instead of teeth to help filter prey. If a whale washed up on a nearby shore, it was claimed by the bishop as a token of their semi-regal status but also as a resource, Mr Castling said. The baleen was used in a similar way to modern day solid plastics and was put in items such as corsets, painting brushes and gauntlets. "In the modern world we tend to think of whales as beautiful creatures that are not a resource," Mr Castling said. "But in the medieval period they were viewed with a degree of reverence, but they were also seen as a resource that could be used if it washed up on the shore." A jet die was also found, but it was not used to play games. Instead, in the medieval period people believed the item could help predict the future. Mr Castling said there were not many similar dice in the UK and most were found in religious sites. When rubbed, jet sparks and gives off static. "When you first say to people, they had dice which they used in order to try and discern the future, that sounds completely alien to our modern rational world," Mr Castling said. "But it produces something that feels magical." Some items at the site have travelled from further afield. Archaeologists have found a 17th Century knife, believed to have come from Amsterdam, as well as French jettons, coin-type objects used in calculations. An amphora though to originate from south-west Spain was also discovered last summer. Follow BBC North East on X, Facebook, Nextdoor and Instagram. Surprise wall find as years of excavations end Uncovered 1650s house captures 'a moment in time' Durham University The Auckland Project
