Corinium's Collections Engagement Officer, James Harris, has been challenged to tell the story of the ancient Cotswolds using only objects found in the museum store for a talk at the museum on November 7th. Here is one of his highlights.
At all times the Corinium Museum stores artefacts that are too remarkable to remain unseen by the public. Ideally, these objects would be on display, but redisplays take time and usually require fundraising efforts. The recent National Lottery Heritage-funded redisplay of the prehistory gallery has left little space for the newly donated objects.
As we began planning the project, new prehistoric material arrived at an unprecedented rate, making it challenging to keep up and forcing us to adjust our plans frequently. Eventually, we reached a point where we had to stop making changes; otherwise, we risked delays and increased costs. This is why we keep a wonderful late Bronze Age socketed axe hoard in storage, alongside an exceedingly rare Iron Age cart wheel cap, as well as those artefacts featured in the museum blog series, Secrets of the Stores.
We don’t solely collect and preserve what one might consider “star objects”. Even seemingly mundane or prosaic items can contribute significantly to our understanding of the past. Objects that are too small, fragmentary, or not in good condition still hold immense value and can reveal surprising human stories.
While some objects are intrinsically fascinating, others require context to convey their significance. In archaeology, context is everything.
I’m often asked what my favourite object is in the museum. My answer is a small collection of fragments of burnt hazelnut shell. They were found in a hearth beneath (and so predating) the Neolithic Hazleton Long Barrow. This hearth was associated with a series of post holes, possibly linked to the barrow’s construction or a temporary dwelling.
Analysis of pollen samples suggests that the barrow was built in a woodland clearing. Imagine a vibrant scene: a hunting camp where people gather around a fire, chatting, singing and enjoying hazelnuts, throwing the shells into the flames, where they carbonise and are preserved for nearly 6,000 years. The shells now provide very tangible evidence of human activity.
James’ talk will be held on Thursday 7th November from 2pm – 3pm. You can book a ticket here:
https://coriniummuseum.org/event/corinium-afternoons-2/
