50 Finds from Worcestershire: Objects from the Portable Antiquities Scheme

The landscape of Worcestershire has been an attractive place for people to settle for thousands of years; the natural resources have been utilised such as the salt at Droitwich and the pure water springs of the Malvern Hills. The archaeology and artefacts discovered by the public in this region help us understand more about the people who interacted with and shaped these landscapes.The rich history of the county is reflected in the variety of objects recorded by the Portable Antiquities Scheme: from a Paleolithic handaxe dating to over 400,000 years old to a hoard of over 3,000 silver coins dating to the Roman period and discovered near an Iron Age hillfort. Exchange and trade within the county is reflected by Roman coins that were minted in mainland Europe and by a single coin from the Worcester mint, which was active between the late ninth century and the late twelfth century. Many objects would have had personal significance to the owner, such as a seal matrix used by a local Worcestershire family, and a First World War medal that was sent back to the county to the owner’s widow after his death in France. The finds in this book will take the reader across Worcestershire over many thousands of years, revealing objects from the past and a glimpse of the people who owned them.