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 August 2024
Upcoming Events
Researching Suffolk's Archaeology Conference
Tickets selling fast and only 3 weeks to go!
đź“… When: Thursday 5th June 2025
đź•š Time: 10am-4pm (doors open 9:45am) with complimentary tea and coffee
đź“Ť Where: Corn Exchange, Ipswich
đź’° Price: ÂŁ20 + ÂŁ3 booking fee - all proceeds support the charitable work of the Suffolk Archaeological Recording Foundation.
Book your tickets now to discover cutting edge research and new archaeological work that is reshaping what we know about Suffolk’s past. This is your chance to hear directly from archaeologists and researchers with talks by some of the country’s leading specialists, including:
- Rob Davis (British Museum) on excavating Neanderthal archaeology in Suffolk
- Andrew Brown (Ashmolean Museum) on Roman Coins in Suffolk
- Jude Plouviez (formerly SCCAS) on Lackford’s early Anglo-Saxon cemetery
- Keith Wade (former County Archaeologist) on early medieval Ipswich
- Ian Riddler (freelance specialist) on Ipswich and the Vikings of Suffolk
- Rory Naismith (Cambridge University) on East Anglian early medieval coins
- Christopher Scull (UCL and Cardiff) on Rendlesham’s Anglo-Saxon royal centre
- Stephanie Paull (West Stow Museum) on new evidence redating the settlement and facial reconstruction technology
- Faye Minter (SCCAS) on newly discovered in-situ finds made by members of the public
The conference is being hosted by and will raise funds for the Suffolk Archaeological Recording Foundation, a charity recently established to support the recording, analysis and conservation of archaeological objects in Suffolk found by members of the public.
Finds Recording in Suffolk
Image: illustration of the runic pendant from the Deben valley (© Suffolk County Council).
A runic inscription from the Deben valley
This runic pendant was found by a local metal detector user recently in the Deben valley and features an inscription that adds to our understanding of the early history of the English language. The runic inscription was interpreted by Professor John Hines, who is an internationally renowned expert on Anglo-Saxon and Viking age archaeology, history and literature.
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.
From the Vaults
Image: Drone photograph of the Late Bronze Age settlement (© Oxford Archaeology)
New Ipswich link road uncovers 3,000-year-old settlement
The recently opened Europa Way is now improving traffic movements to the west of Ipswich, but it has also provided an avenue into the area's history. A Late Bronze Age settlement and cremation cemetery were uncovered during archaeological works which took place during the road's development. Initial evaluations were undertaken by Cotswold Archaeology, with further archaeological fieldwork by Oxford Archaeology. Suffolk County Council’s archaeological officers monitored the project to ensure that the site was excavated and recorded to a high standard. The full archive of finds will be deposited with the Suffolk County Council Archaeological Service, where it will be curated for the future and accessible to researchers of all levels.
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