Archaeology News in Suffolk
A collection of archaeological news, projects and events in Suffolk from Suffolk County Council Archaeological Service
Welcome to our e-newsletter for July 2023
Featured Projects - Rendlesham Revealed
Image: Volunteers excavating at Rendlesham with supervision from Cotswold Archaeology (© Suffolk County Council)
Join the Archaeological Excavations 2023
This September to early October, the final season of archaeological excavations at Rendlesham will take place.
Volunteer with us as part of the team alongside professional archaeologists, led by Suffolk County Council Archaeological Service and with Cotswold Archaeology. Volunteers will receive hands on training and experience real time discoveries.
This year we will be investigating areas near to the royal hall, discovered last summer, to answer more questions regarding the dating and layout of the settlement.
Booking is essential as spaces are limited and in very high demand.
What you need to know before booking:
- Tickets for excavations and for finds processing are sold separately. There is a small charge of £5 per person per day to attend, which contributes towards the cost of training.
- Suitable for ages 12+ (under 18yrs must be accompanied by a paying adult).
- The site is on an agricultural field, on muddy and uneven terrain and work will continue in all weather conditions.
- For the excavations, you will need to be physically fit to dig and sieve a lot of earth. You will be on a professional archaeological site and will be directed to where you are most needed depending on the tasks that need to be completed on the day.
- For the finds processing, this is on-site in the field but is less physical, involving cleaning, sorting and marking the excavated artefacts.
Please note: the site at Rendlesham is on private farmland land and has no public access. Access during the season will only be granted to volunteers who have booked in advance.
Public Tours - Excavations 2023
At the end of the excavation season, the team will hold a series of public tours on Saturday 7th October. The professional archaeologists will give a tour of the trenches, explaining what has been discovered over the season.
Advanced booking only. Tickets for the public tours will be available in September at https://heritage.suffolk.gov.uk/rendlesham-excavations-2023
Image: placing a pottery vessel into the exhibition case at Sutton Hoo (© Robin Pattinson/Suffolk County Council/National Trust)
Ask the Curator Blog Series: The Rendlesham Revealed Exhibition
The Ask the Curator blog series takes a deep dive into the research that has uncovered Anglo-Saxon Rendlesham, exploring facts about the site and showcasing some star objects on display in the new Rendlesham Revealed exhibition at National Trust Sutton Hoo until 29th October 2023.
With new articles published every month, the series so far has explored several themes including how archaeologists have investigated the site; who lived there in the 5th-8th centuries; what we know about the environment and the river in the past; and what is the relationship between Rendlesham and Sutton Hoo. Star objects include sword fittings and coinage, with more star objects coming up soon such as jewellery and horse harness mounts.
Keep an eye out each month for new articles on our website.
Image: a replica Ipswich ware pot after being fired in the replica kiln (© Suffolk County Council)
Being Anglo-Saxon: Blog Series
The Rendlesham Revealed team have been working with volunteers to explore how Anglo-Saxon pottery was once made in Ipswich, by investigating experimental archaeology methods to build a replica Anglo-Saxon kiln.
The "Being Anglo-Saxon" blog series follows each stage of the process over the past 6 months, from making the pots to firing them.
Finds Recording in Suffolk
Image: Hoard under excavation by Debbie Harris and Jonathan Clark (Norfolk Museum Service) and Kerrie Bull (Wardell Armstrong). (© Suffolk County Council)
Featured Find - 2,000-year-old Roman hoard discovered near Euston
A rare discovery of late Roman pewter plates, platters, bowls and a cup has been made in Euston, in the west of Suffolk.
The remains of the vessels were buried in a pit and carefully stacked, suggesting that they were placed as a single group, possibly for safe keeping or an offering.
Responsible Metal Detecting
Metal detecting is an increasingly popular activity in Suffolk. The objects that are found can help us understand more about the county's archaeology, when they are recorded properly. There are, however, important guidelines to follow to make sure that everyone is metal detecting in a legal and responsible way.
- Before starting any metal detecting, you should obtain written permission from the landowner in the form of an agreement, as well as check any legal restrictions on the land.
- Surveying systematically and recording accurate grid references for each find spot can allow the site to be understood more clearly.
- Stay within the plough soil (30cm) to avoid damaging underlying archaeological remains.
- Record all your finds with the Suffolk Finds Recording Team, who are part of the National Portable Antiquities Scheme.
- Any Treasure must legally be reported
For more detail and links to further guidance read the full article by clicking the button below.
If you have recently found an archaeological object in Suffolk which you'd like identified and recorded, our Finds Recording Team can help. Find out more about Finds Recording here.
Archaeology in Development
Image: A selection of Roman brooches from Flixton Quarry (© Suffolk County Council)
From the Vaults: Flixton Park Quarry - Iron Age and Roman
The Historic Environment Team have been looking back at the records held for the previous excavations at Flixton Park Quarry that began in 1995. Over 13 years of seasonal excavation work has taken place over a c.43 hectare area.
This month's article on Flixton explores the archaeological evidence of the structures, artefacts, industry and burials from the Iron Age and Roman periods.
Thank you for joining our e-newsletter, for those who are new, here's a brief summary of what we do.
We are the main provider of archaeological advice in Suffolk and to promote the conservation, enhancement and understanding of Suffolk's distinctive historic environment, we:
- maintain a record of archaeology and heritage assets, the Historic Environment Record
- provide advice to planners, developers and farmers
- identify and record finds made by members of the public
- curate an archive for fieldwork projects carried out in the county
- publish the results of fieldwork and other research into Suffolk's past