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The Guardian
06-07-2025
- Entertainment
- The Guardian
The Guardian view on metal detecting: hobbyists as well as experts can play a part in unearthing the past
The discovery of two swords at a dig in Gloucestershire has fuelled speculation that a Roman villa may once have stood there, at a period in the second or third century AD when Saxons were making inroads in the region. Experts think that the blades may even have been deliberately hidden – but not deep enough to conceal them from a novice metal detectorist, Glenn Manning. Next month, the public will get a chance to see the weapons when they go on display at the Corinium museum in Cirencester, to which they have been given. The items join a growing list of striking finds by hobbyists. These include a gold nugget found in the Shropshire Hills by Richard Brock, who located it with the help of an old machine that was 'only half working'. Another newcomer dug up a gold necklace bearing the initials of Henry VIII and Katherine of Aragon, which is now in the British Museum. There are an estimated 20,000 metal detectorists in Britain, with at least two factors having contributed to the activity's increased popularity over the last decade. One was the pandemic and the nudge it gave to some people to find a new way to spend leisure time. The other was the Bafta-winning BBC television comedy Detectorists, which ran for three series starting in 2014 and returned for a Christmas special in 2022. Written by Mackenzie Crook, this was a story about the hidden depths of male friendship as well as the Essex farmland where they did their detecting. While archaeology had been on TV before, in programmes such as Time Team, metal detecting was an unexpected focus for a popular drama. There was probably also something in the zeitgeist, since mudlarking on the Thames saw a boom during the same period – going from the obscure pastime of aficionados to something much more mainstream. Like metal detectorists, whose focus on precious objects sometimes comes into sharp conflict with the scholarly priorities and painstaking processes of archaeologists, mudlarks (who sometimes use metal detectors along with other techniques) need authorisation to go on their scavenging hunts. From just 200 permits sought in 2018-19 from the Port of London authority, the total rose to 5,000 three years later. One result of this upsurge in interest is a new exhibition of 350 mudlarked objects. Secrets of the Thames includes medieval carvings and Victorian forgeries, and opened at the London Museum last week. Not all metal detecting is focused on the distant past. A 5,000-strong network of volunteers, the National Ring Recovery Service, helps living people find lost items. While this altruistic project is described by its founder, Morley Howard, as a 'fifth emergency service', the activities and motivations of metal detectorists who hunt for valuable artefacts remain controversial, and some believe that the legal framework is too lax. Archaeological sites have been damaged, and in 2019 two men were jailed for the illegal sale of coins and jewellery known as the Leominster hoard. But deeply regrettable though such losses are, they should not be allowed to overshadow the positive contributions of amateur detectorists, some of whom volunteer on digs led by experts – as Mr Manning did on the day he found the swords. This commitment to scouring the countryside for traces of ancient lives is a testament to an abiding curiosity about the past that is not limited to experts.
BBC News
04-07-2025
- Science
- BBC News
Cotswolds Iron Age settlement and 'Roman villa' unearthed
An extensive Iron Age settlement established more than 2,000 years ago has been unearthed following a rare sword find, archaeologists have excavation near Willersey, Gloucestershire, has also found what could be remnants of a Roman dig follows the discovery of two iron Roman cavalry swords during a metal detecting rally near Willersey two years ago. Those "rare" swords will go on display at the Corinium Museum, Cirencester, from 2 August, Historic England confirmed. Ian Barnes, senior archaeologist, said the excavation was providing "valuable insights into the nature of settlement patterns from the Early Iron Age through to the Roman period in Gloucestershire". Speaking on finding the swords, metal detectorist Glenn Manning said: "This was only my second time metal detecting and the morning before the rally, I had a feeling I would find something special.""I'm excited to find out more about them," he have found evidence of settlements spanning several centuries, including three, possibly four, Iron Age ring ditches measuring up to 18.5 metres (60ft) in diameter, a spokesperson from Historic England said. A substantial rectangular enclosure measuring five metres wide (16ft) and remains of Roman limestone buildings - perhaps representing a winged villa - were also months of meticulous digging by archaeologists in the area, Roman building materials including ceramic roofing and box flue tiles, and painted wall plaster were dug work was funded by Historic England and undertaken in partnership with Cotswold Barnes added: "This new evidence will help us to understand more about what happened around the period of the Roman Conquest, which must have been a tumultuous time."
BBC News
19-06-2025
- Science
- BBC News
Huge ancient Roman wall paintings pieced together
Archaeologists have put together thousands of pieces of wall plaster to reveal paintings that once decorated a luxurious Roman villa in include illustrations of flowers, birds, fruit and musical believe that the paintings date back to the first or second fragments were first discovered four years ago, but it's taken researchers until now to sort through all the pieces. What did experts find? The painted pieces of plaster - also known as frescoes - were found in Southwark in central London, situated on banks of the River Thames in 2021. Experts from the Museum of London Archaeology (Mola) say the frescoes are from at least 20 walls of a large also think that the grand building may have been home to a wealthy family or a hotel for rich travellers passing through Li, from Mola, spent many months with the pieces of plaster, carefully examining each piece to put together what he describes as "the world's most difficult jigsaw puzzle"."It's one of the biggest - if not the biggest - assemblages of Roman wall plaster and paintings we've ever found in Roman London," he explained. Mr Li added that the fragile nature of the ancient fragments made this even more of a challenge."You have to be very careful because you can only assemble the pieces a small number of times before the plaster starts to be damaged and it flakes off."So you have to be quite sure before you join the pieces that this is the piece that may fit," he Romans founded London in 43AD, and archaeologists believe that the villa was built soon after, when the new city was growing rapidly.
Yahoo
19-06-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Huge Roman 'jigsaw' reveals 2,000-year-old wall paintings
Archaeologists have pieced together thousands of fragments of 2,000-year-old wall plaster to reveal remarkable frescoes that decorated a luxurious Roman villa. The shattered plaster was discovered in 2021 at a site in Central London that's being redeveloped, but it's taken until now to reconstruct this colossal jigsaw puzzle. The frescoes are from at least 20 walls of the building, with beautifully painted details of musical instruments, birds, flowers and fruit. The art is revealing more about the affluence of the area where they were found - described by the team as the "Beverly Hills of Roman London". There are also clues about who the artists were: one fragment is scored with the Latin word Fecit, which means "has made this" - but the piece where the name should be is missing. The Museum of London Archaeology (Mola) team still hope the vital piece will be found as they sift through the fragments. "It's one of the biggest - if not the biggest - assemblages of Roman wall plaster and paintings we've ever found in Roman London," said Han Li from Mola. The largest of the frescoes, measuring about 5m by 3m, has a lower section of pale pink, dotted with specks of paint to imitate marble. Above are rich yellow panels with soft green borders. The wall paintings are adorned with candelabras, stringed instruments called lyres, white cranes and a delicate daisy. There's also what appears to be a bunch of grapes, but archaeobotanists believe that this is a plant that grows locally - mistletoe. "That is actually quite interesting for me, because you're seeing that the Roman painters are taking a classical idea and they're very much putting their own North West European, or local, twist on it. I think that's magnificent," says Han Li. He spent many months with the jumble of plaster, meticulously examining each piece to put together what he describes as "the world's most difficult jigsaw puzzle". The fragility of the ancient fragments made this even more of a challenge. "You have to be very careful because you can only assemble the pieces a small number of times before the plaster starts to be damaged and it flakes off," he said. "So you have to be quite sure before you join the pieces that this is the piece that may fit." The Romans founded London in AD43, and the villa was built soon after, dating to the first or second century when the new city was growing rapidly. The archaeologists think this grand building may have been home to a wealthy family or a hotel for rich travellers passing through Londinium. They've been comparing the frescoes to others found across Britain and Europe, and they believe they were created by a group of highly skilled painters who travelled the Roman empire. "They've come to Roman London where there was a building boom, with many houses and many buildings going up that required painting. And they went around essentially taking on huge commissions of work," said Han Li. "It's amazing to imagine that their work is now again visible to us 2,000 years later." The artists' exact identity however will remain elusive until the missing fragment bearing their names is found. The plaster was found in Southwark, just south of the Thames. A stunning mosaic and Roman cemetery were also unearthed at the site, which was being excavated in preparation for a new development. This location, outside of the central hub of Roman London, is also revealing more about how the city was spreading out. "There was this thriving, bustling settlement quite early on in the Roman period, and it's almost the kind of wealthy suburb - the Beverly Hills of Roman London," said Andrew Henderson-Schwartz from Mola. "And what this shows is that the Romans are committing to London. They're investing in London, and they're seeing it as a place to settle in, a place to stay. It's not just a kind of provincial outpost." There's still much to discover from the fresco fragments, helping archaeologists reconstruct the story of the UK's rich Roman history. Get our flagship newsletter with all the headlines you need to start the day. Sign up here.
Gizmodo
09-06-2025
- Science
- Gizmodo
Archaeologists in France Discover Giant Roman Gallic Villa Hiding in Plain Sight
A recent excavation reveals that a large building excavated in 1966 was just a part of an even grander ancient complex. In 1966, archaeologists in France uncovered an ancient 7,535-square-foot building near the town of Auxerre. Remains of furniture in the edifice's ten rooms led archaeologists to estimate that it was inhabited from the first to the fourth century CE, and evidence of mosaics and floor heating indicated that the inhabitants were members of a wealthy social class. But it turns out that these spaces were a small part of an even grander dwelling. Archaeologists have revealed that the building excavated almost six decades ago is just a secondary wing of a luxurious 43,056-square-foot villa—one of the largest known Roman villas in modern-day France. According to an agricultural treatise by the ancient Roman writer Lucius Junius Moderatus Columella called De Re Rvstica, Roman villas were divided into three main sections: the pars urbana, where the landowner and his family lived; the pars rustica, which housed the workers, animals, and farming tools; and the pars fructuaria for the harvest tools. The excavation near Auxerre has thus far revealed the complex's residential pars urbana, along with some features that may have belonged to the pars rustica. The building wrapped around a square garden, with a basin at one end and a fountain at the other. The chambers surrounding the garden included spaces to receive guests, technical rooms, and possible a kitchen, and the eastern wing of the building showcased thermal baths. The space that may have belonged to the pars rustica section of the complex consists of a rectangular space near a boundary wall that encircles part of the villa. In a statement by France's National Institute for Preventive Archaeological Research (Inrap), archaeologists suggest the villa was built in two or three stages. Further research will be necessary to determine the building's potential association with ancient Auxerre, known as Autessiodurum, which became a prominent city in the fourth century. By the mid first century BCE, future Roman dictator-for-life Julius Caesar had conquered all of Gaul, a region including most of modern day France and Belgium. Large Roman Gallic villas traditionally had richly developed pars urbana and almost always included private thermal baths. They also usually incorporated fountains, gardens, private sanctuaries, and elaborate interiors featuring marble, frescoes, and mosaics for the enjoyment of their wealthy landowners, who made up the region's political elite. The recently uncovered estate represents one of the largest Roman villas in Gaul, according to The History Blog. It remains to be seen what further insight the magnificent remains will provide into the lives of Gaul's wealthiest ancient residents. In the meantime, visitors will have the rare opportunity to tour the site on June 15 in honor of European Archaeology Days.
