A censer, also known as a thurible, was a container which was swung from chains to produce scented smoke during church services. It comprised a metal vessel containing incense, ignited with burning embers or charcoal, with an openwork cover which allowed the resulting smoke to disperse. These covers were often highly decorative objects, but today …more
This little object (SUR-D01AF2), with its evocative human face with staring eyes and slicked-back hair, is a copper alloy handle attachment mount, probably from a stave-built bucket. It dates to the later Iron Age (1st century BC to the 1st century AD) and is one of a relatively small number of representations of the human …more
The artefacts recorded by the Portable Antiquities Scheme (PAS) can help illuminate all sorts of mysteries from the past – including long forgotten traditions and strange superstitions which were once a part of ordinary domestic life. Sometimes these finds can turn up in situations more commonly dealt with by other heritage specialists – such as …more
As of the week beginning April 12th 2021, in accordance with Government guidelines for the re-opening of library service facilities, the Surrey FLO will once again be available for meetings with finders to take in and return bagged groups of finds for recording at the Surrey History Centre in Woking. Appointments will need to be …more
During the 13th and 14th centuries a fashion for decorative metalwork on the horse harness of the well-to- do saw widespread use of armorial decorations. These took the form of individual pendants and more elaborate sets which included miniature banners, pendants, mounts and bosses (Ward Perkins, 1940; Ashley, 2002). Elements of these are widely recorded …more
Whilst the vast majority of metal objects recorded by the Portable Antiquities Scheme (training.finds.org.uk) come from detectorists, every so often a more unusual method of discovery results in a find coming our way from people out enjoying the countryside. A good example is this socketed axehead (SUR-F51EA5) dating to the late Bronze Age (c 1100-800 …more
Surrey is a region which during the Iron Age (c800 BC – AD 43) sat on major fault lines of tribal identity, with powerful groups such as the Atrebates (Hampshire), Regni (Sussex) and Catuvellauni (north of the Thames) variously incorporating bits of the county area into their territory as their power waxed and waned. To …more
The schedule of weekend drop-in finds sessions (typically held from 11am until 1pm) in Surrey for the rest of 2019 is as follows: Saturday September 14th – Guildford House Gallery, High St. Guildford.Sunday September 15th – Surrey Arch Society Research Centre, Abinger (as part of their open day).Saturday October 5th – Addlestone Community Centre, Addlestone. …more
The Portable Antiquities Scheme provides a unique avenue for documenting small finds which, although not associated with any archaeological context, can still yield important new information about local and national history purely on their own merits. One such find recently recorded by the Surrey FLO, is SUR-F847F3 – a papal bulla or lead document seal …more
A rare example of an inscribed silver medieval hawking ring or vervel has recently been recorded from Surrey. This little object (SUR-44916D) was tied to the legs of a hawk and used to connect the bird to a leash which tethered it to a perch. During the medieval and post medieval periods, falconry was a …more
