Samantha Fryer Ward shares some of the incredible finds on display that visitors can discover in a new free trail
The Corinium Museum contains artefacts and finds from prehistory up until the 19th century and we treasure all kinds of amazing objects, from Palaeolithic mammoth tusks to Victorian stoneware bottles.
Treasure in a legal sense is much more defined. Under the Treasure Act 1996 it is gold and silver objects, and groups of coins that are more than 300 years old. The definition of Treasure was expanded in 2023 to include items of prehistoric base-metal found after 1st January 2003, and metallic objects that are more than 200 years old and that provide exceptional insight into national or local history, archaeology or culture, are also now considered treasure.
We are lucky enough to have quite a few Treasure items on display in the Corinium, some of which were very kindly donated by the members of the public who found them, and some that have been bought by the Friends of Corinium Museum. We have created a free Treasures of the Corinium Museum trail that takes visitors around the galleries to discover some of them. Here are a few of my favourite items in the trail.
One of the smallest, and perhaps shiniest, items is a Bronze Age Gold Basket Ornament in our Poulton Gold Hoard Case in the Prehistory Gallery. It looks almost like a flattened key for a music box. When it was in use, around 2500BC-2200BC, it would have been shaped into a cylindrical basket shape. It could have been an ear ring or a hair ornament. It is a beautiful piece of jewellery, particularly when you consider is it about four-and-half-thousand years old!
Some more recent Treasure finds that are on display in our Medieval Gallery include a 15th-century silver-gilt pendant with the names of the Magi: Caspar, Melchior and Baltasar, engraved on alternating sides. In between are what could either be teardrops or drops of blood, alluding to the blood and wounds of Christ. The lettering is beautiful and intricate for an item so tiny, and it must have taken a craftsperson with incredible skill to complete.
There is also an amazing 13th-century brooch that is decorated with animal heads, including those of two large cats (perhaps leopards), a bull with horns and a monkey. The heads are positioned so their cheeks are alongside the curl of the pin. This brooch was found by a metal detectorist in 2018 and, although quite worn, is really quite remarkable.
There are 13 items in total in the Treasure Trail. If you would like to discover them all, why not visit the museum to pick up a free Treasures of the Corinium Museum leaflet, or download one from our website here: Collections – Corinium Museum
If you would like to help us to share more of the incredible finds from this part of the Cotswolds, why not join the Friends of Corinium Museum? As a local authority-owned museum, we do not have a big budget and have to raise money to not only create and maintain our amazing galleries, but also to buy significant finds from the area that are not donated. The Friends of Corinium Museum is a vital and very much appreciated organisation that helps us to do this through fundraising and raising awareness. The Friends also runs its own programme of events and members enjoy discounted access to the museum’s events programme, including talks by experts on historical or archaeological topics. You can learn more about their work here Friends of Corinium Museum | Cirencester
