When we talk about the Medieval period, we are referring to the time from the Norman Conquest in AD 1066 to the rise of the House of Tudor in AD 1485. During this period, the standard unit of currency was the penny – not a penny as we would know it today, but a larger …more
Category: Medieval
A history of Medieval Scottish coinage
In this blog post Medieval coin expert and long-time volunteer for the PAS, Carl Savage, takes us on a brisk hike through the history of Medieval Scottish coinage using coins on the PAS database. Scottish coins on the PAS database Given we are now all working from home for the time being this will be …more
Silver and Silver Working
This is the next in our series of posts on metal-working written by Dr. Kevin Leahy, PAS National Finds Adviser. The articles were first published in The Searcher magazine and are reproduced here with kind permission of Harry Bain, editor for The Searcher. Of the 1.4 million objects recorded by the PAS to date, almost …more
The Battle of Bosworth Field
Today marks the anniversary of the Battle of Bosworth, the last significant battle of the Wars of the Roses. The battle was the culmination of 30 years of civil war between the Houses of York and Lancaster, although at the time it was likely viewed as just another battle in a lengthy period of unrest. …more
Half Term Heraldry
This half term, we took some inspiration from the many heraldic harness pendants recorded on the database and invited the children of Dorset to make their own coat of arms. People have always found various ways of identifying and distinguishing themselves from others. They often use symbols and other devices to represent themselves. In the …more
Ouch! Medieval preemptive measures against pain (or even sudden death!)
In an excellent (if slightly unsettling) post Helen Geake considered some of the objects recorded by the PAS that relate to medical care. Between the Roman scalpels and the late post-medieval dental plates discussed, there was a rather large gap of time (of course eminently forgivable in a short blog!). Here, then, I consider the medieval …more
A rare complete medieval stirrup
A complete medieval stirrup has been recorded from Quainton in Buckinghamshire. Contributing to the record was Helen, a local volunteer, Ros, the then FLO for Buckinghamshire, and Rob from the PASt Explorers team. The record can be found on the Portable Antiquities Scheme database here: BUC-1A3216. This type of stirrup is relatively rare, though it is …more
Love is in the air at PAS
Today is Valentine’s Day and our Finds Liaison Officers have been busy highlighting love-themed objects from the Portable Antiquities Scheme database. Be sure to check them out on Twitter! In the meantime, here are a few more objects that demonstrate the range of subtle (and not-so-subtle) ways people in the past have professed their love. …more
Festive Finds: PAS Christmas Countdown #12
The Nativity The story of the Nativity has been represented in many different formats throughout history.The Virgin Mary and child have been depicted in paintings, sculpture and even on more functional objects. It is a story that is known to all across the Christian world and many more beyond that. It’s no surprise that scenes from the …more
Festive Finds: PAS Christmas Countdown #11
Reliquary During the Medieval period life was governed by the Church and Bible. Everything you did during your earthly life would impact your soul after death and decide if you went to heaven or hell and how long you would spend in purgatory. A part of this highly religious life was the idea of pilgrimage, …more
