Archaeology

Some of Britain’s most significant archaeological finds are in this collection of around three million objects. They span from the Palaeolithic to the medieval period, and include objects from sites such as Maiden Castle and Roman Dorchester.

Dorset-Museum-Objects-bronze-age-glass-beaker

Archaeology

November 10, 2020

Germanic style glass bowl fragment

This was a strongly curved, low drinking vessel with molten glass trailed around it for decoration. It is rare and only normally seen in the…

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dorset-museum-objects-engraved-glass-bowl

Archaeology

October 30, 2020

Engraved glass bowl from Colliton Park, Dorchester  

Engraved with followers of Dionysus, Greek god of wine.

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dorset-museum-objects-shale-table-leg

Archaeology

October 30, 2020

Shale table leg from a three-legged table 

Found in excavations at Colliton Park, Dorchester. Kimmeridge shale was used for many objects in Roman Dorset and beyond.

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dorset-museum-objects-tarrant-valley-lunula

Archaeology

October 14, 2020

The Tarrant Valley lunula  

Named after the shape of a crescent moon, this Bronze Age lunula is very rare and the only one known from Dorset. These objects were…

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Dorset-Museum-Objects-glass-beads

Archaeology

October 14, 2020

Stone and glass beads, both local and imported 

From an Iron Age burial at Langton Herring, these beads belonged to a young woman.

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dorset-archaeology-007

Archaeology

October 14, 2020

Bronze Age beaker    

Beakers of this type are associated with the first objects made from metal. This beaker was found in Broadmayne.

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dorset-archaeology-010

Archaeology

October 14, 2020

Hoard of sixteen gold Durotrigian staters

Staters were the earliest coinage in Britain. Hoards of them were sometimes treated in similar ways to other deposits of special objects.

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dorset-museum-objects-Bronze-Plaque-Fragment-Maiden-Castle

Archaeology

October 14, 2020

Bronze plaque fragment, with engraved figure  

The engraved figure of Minerva discovered during excavations of the Roman Temple, Maiden Castle.

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Dorset-Museum-Objects-red-roman-hair

Archaeology

October 14, 2020

Plait of red human hair  

Hair was preserved in several graves at the Roman cemetery at Poundbury because bodies were packed with gypsum. Women wore their hair long, often plaited…

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