History First

Archival detective work and scientific analysis by archaeologists have revealed the likely origin of one of the largest and most unusual hoards of late Roman artefacts discovered in Britain.

Given the new light shed on its provenance and archaeological context, the researchers said that, after 150 years in relative obscurity, the Knaresborough Hoard “can rightfully claim its place as one of the most important collections of late Roman metalwork from Britain and the western provinces of the Roman Empire.”

Although the hoard was discovered in North Yorkshire around 1864, no detailed analysis of the items was previously undertaken and the circumstances of the find were unknown. Newcastle University archaeology student Jessica DeMaso carried out the first comprehensive study of the hoard as part of her MA degree and the results are published in The Antiquaries Journal.

She said: “The Yorkshire Museum have a research initiative called Old Collections, New Questions and had written up some research prompts. I thought, ‘This Knaresborough Hoard sounds so interesting — why has no one studied it before?' And it turns out to be an incredible story [ . . . ]" Click on the link to read on.

Victorian map unlocks 'incredible' tale of Romano-British metal hoard - History First Archival detective work and scientific analysis by archaeologists have revealed the likely origin of one of the largest and most unusual hoards of late-Roman artefacts discovered in Britain. Given the new light shed on its provenance and archaeological context, the researchers said that, after 150 y...

Medals awarded to a British soldier who took part in one of the most audacious missions of the Second World War — a 48-day 4,000 mile round-trip commando raid on Singapore Harbour — are expected to make £60,000-£80,000 at auction.

Acting Sergeant Ronald George “Taffy” Morris was attached to the Special Operations Executive and Special Operations Australia when he served as medical orderly on the fishing boat MV Krait for Operation Jaywick. The 14-man mission, commanded by Captain Ivan Lyon, resulted in sinking or damaging six enemy ships totalling over 25,000 tons. With no uniforms or ID tags, and flying the Japanese flag, the men risked certain death if captured [ . . . ] Click on the link to read the full story.

Medals of Welsh hero of 4,000-mile WW2 commando raid up for sale - History First Medals awarded to a British soldier who took part in one of the most audacious missions of the Second World War — a 48-day 4,000 mile round-trip commando raid on Singapore Harbour — are expected to make £60,000-£80,000 at auction.

Ancestry from early medieval Slavic migrations is widespread right across the Balkans, including in Greece and other countries that do not have Slavic national identities, according to the first major study of ancient and modern DNA from the region.

Historical records indicate that during the sixth and seventh centuries, while the Eastern Roman Empire was afflicted by plague and warfare, large numbers of people migrated from Eastern Europe into the Balkan Peninsula. The new research, from an international team, confirms this influx but also shows mixing and continuity with earlier local populations such as ancient Greeks, Thracians and Illyrians.

It indicates that today’s Balkan residents have around 30-60 per cent Slavic ancestry, with the higher levels in the north. “We found this genetic signal of Slavic migration all across the Balkans,” said paleogenomicist Professor Carles Lalueza-Fox of the Institute of Evolutionary Biology and Museum of Natural Sciences in Barcelona, senior author of the study published in Cell. “This could have important social and political implications given that the Balkans has had a long history of conflict associated with their perceived identities [ . . . ]”

Medieval Slavic migration transformed gene pool across Balkans - History First Ancestry from early medieval Slavic migrations is widespread right across the Balkans, including in Greece and other countries that do not have Slavic national identities, according to the first major study of ancient and modern DNA from the region.

Two inscribed metal tablets discovered in York were left as offerings by a Greek traveller whose exploratory mission to islands off the coast of first-century Britain is described by Plutarch.

That’s according to new analysis which considers the information contained within the artefacts, and their broader historical context, in unprecedented detail. It revives a link between the tablets and the ancient author Plutarch’s Demetrius of Tarsus that was first made in Victorian times but had fallen out of favour as insufficiently supported and too good to be true.

If the identification is accepted, the tablets — which may have been hung on the walls of a shrine or on devotional statues or statuettes — are extraordinarily rare examples of Roman artefacts that can be linked to an individual known from literature who was not an emperor, empress, general or politician [ . . . ]

Inscriptions at York link Greek literary figure to Roman Britain - History First Two inscribed metal tablets discovered in York were left as offerings by a Greek traveller whose exploratory mission to islands off the coast of first-century Britain is described by Plutarch.