Laura Beckwith

British Camp, with Pinnacle Hill and The Malverns stretching out behind. This was a huge Bronze/Iron Age hillfort.

The grass covered ramparts of a hillfort and exposed masonry atop a medieval motte and bailey castle as seen from a descending aircraft, wing at top of picture

Waving to Old Sarum 👋

The mighty multivallate Iron Age hillfort, just NE of Salisbury #Wiltshire, reused as Roman town and Medieval motte and bailey, rears up as you come in to land at the nearby airfield

📷 Oct 2016

#HillfortsWednesday

Detectorist’s Roman swords find unearths iron age settlement in Gloucestershire When Glen Manning discovered two cavalry swords, a later dig revealed two distinct chapters of British history

A Roman villa site found in Gloucestershire #Archaeology
www.theguardian.com/science/2025...

For #FindsFriday here are some finds in context. Excavations of PERIOD IID, RM.55: GLASS & POTTERY at Verulamium (St. Albans).

www.romansociety.org/Imago/Image-...

I was in Carhampton yesterday giving a talk on recent finds from Somerset. What a lovely group of people with loads of interesting finds in their heritage centre that have been found locally - well worth a visit!

For #FindsFriday I wanted to share this silver denarius of Caracalla, dating to 214 AD. The son of Septimus Severus, Caracalla is well know as a ruthless emperor who famously murdered his brother (and 'co emperor') Geta.

See the record here: finds.org.uk/database/art...

Here today at Castle Cary Market House spreading the word about The Portable Antiquities Scheme 😁 @findsorguk.bsky.social

I'll be at Castle Cary Museum tomorrow!

I won't be taking finds in for recording this time, but will be spreading the word about the PAS and the work we do.

My specialism is archaeological finds, so I will be able to comment on anything aged AD 1700 - 500,000 BC.

See you there!

Zoomorphic styles are common in the Roman period. Here's a second century, almost complete, brooch in the shape of a chicken for #FindsFriday

See the full record here - Record ID: finds.org.uk/database/art...

I've had a few cancellations so there are a couple of spaces left for this finds day, please email asap if you want to nab one!

If you haven't already seen it, check out the new archaeology room at Sidmouth Museum, complete with model hillfort of Blackbury castle! #HillfortsWednesday

This Saturday is my Finds Day in Wells Museum!

If you are a finder booked in to see me, please make sure you arrive 5 mins before your appointment, and have all your findspots ready!

See you soon!

From last week's Finds Friday...

Now we don't see these very often in Somerset! A stunning Iron Age bead is highlighted for today's #FindsFriday
The decoration is a classic Iron Age swirling motif, and the bead is a lovely deep blue colour. See the full record here
finds.org.uk/database/art...

It's always nice when you find something with a personal connection. This Post Medieval #buckle has a maker's mark for S C (for S Cook), whose buckles have been recorded nationwide. Dated to AD 1650 - 1800. See the full record here - finds.org.uk/database/art... #FindsFriday

The hillfort from air by Wessex Archaeology

The Iron Age hillfort at Battlesbury Camp lies near Warminster in Wiltshire. It is a bivallate hillfort that enclosed an area of 9.5 hectares. The southwest area of the hill fort is built over Bronze Age burial mounds. #HillfortWednesday

Close-up of a Roman ring with a deep blue glass intaglio set in a bronze bezel. The engraved image shows a lion walking beneath a small star. The ring is worn but still clearly detailed, with a rich patina on the metal and a glossy surface to the gem.

A lion, a star, and a name that no longer needs writing. This striking Roman intaglio ring, found at the Union Grounds in Colchester, dates to the 3rd century AD. The deep blue gem is nicolo paste, a dark glass used to imitate more expensive stones, and it’s been engraved with a lion beneath a star.

The double ramparts of an Iron Age hillfort visible in shadow from the air on top of a chalk cliff eroding into the sea

It’s #HillfortsWednesday !

Here’s the gorgeous bivallate Iron Age hillfort of Flowers Barrow atop a chalk ridge overlooking Worbarrow Bay #Dorset

It sits in the @Unesco.org World Heritage #JurassicCoast and MoD Firing Range, close the ghost village of Tyneham

📷 © Jo and Sue Crane 2016

The ramparts at Dolebury Warren hillfort, part of a beautiful walk in the Mendip Hills with incredibly varied landscapes. The views are across the Chew Valley to the Bristol Channel. Some of the huge rubble walls are exposed by weathering. #HillfortsWednesday #IronAge

The Lithic Studies Society 2025 - Call for Papers - BAJR - British Archaeology Jobs and Resources Call for Papers for the LSS Annual Conference on Friday 7th & Saturday 8th November 2025 The Lithic Studies Society will host its annual conference this year at Voluntary Action LeicesterShire in Leic...

www.bajr.org/the-lithic-s...

The Call for Papers is out for this November 2025 Conference of the Lithics Studies Society.

Open to all from specialists to independent researchers, from Early to established careers. so read on. :)

🗣 NEW TALK: The Tower: One year on

From grotto excavations and solar panels to peeling paint and exciting new objects, the last few years have seen major changes at Beckford’s Tower!

📆 Tuesday 10 June 2025, 6pm
🎫 £10 www.tickettailor.com/events/bathp...

🏞️ Hillfort of the Week: Bell Hill 🏞️

Overlooking #Lindean Loch near #Selkirk , Bell Hill is a brilliant example of a ridge-top fort. The Borders has one of the highest concentrations of #IronAge hillforts in Europe—evidence of a thriving past in this ancient landscape.

There has been much debate as to whether Burnswark hillfort in S. Scotland was the site of a Roman siege, or was a long abandoned fort re-used by the Romans as a training camp. Excavation in in the 60's recovered lots of Roman ballistics and even a Roman sword! #HillfortsWednesday

Found an archaeological object and want it identifying?

Come along to a Finds Day!

All the info about my next finds day in Taunton is here on my facebook event -

fb.me/e/5LastALAq

A late #FindsFriday but here is this lovely little piece of decorated #medieval coarseware. It dates to the 11th to 15th century, and retains some glaze and decoration on the exterior. See the full record here: finds.org.uk/database/art...

I am on annual leave from today until Wednesday.

If you find a hoard insitu please contact myself via DM or the NCMD hoard hotline (see linktree), leave covered in the ground for excavation by archaeologists.

If in doubt, don't dig it out!

Have a good bank holiday all ☺️

Back here again today for a training day @findsorguk.bsky.social

Somerset FLO | Taunton Somerset FLO, Taunton, Somerset. 4 likes · 1 talking about this. Finds Liaison Officer for Somerset with the British Museum Portable Antiquities Scheme.

I just set up a facebook page for PAS Somerset. If you're over there, please like! www.facebook.com/people/Somer...

Have you found something you think might be an archaeological object? Come along to a Finds Day!

I can take a look at your finds, give an ID and create a record for the PAS database. (Finds will be borrowed for 4 months.)

For upcoming Finds Days in 2025 check the link in bio.

Heading out to Yeovil today! #FindsDay

Small bronze head of Marcus Aurelius.

Head of Emperor Marcus Aurelius, from the Ryedale hoard, North Yorkshire. Interpreted as a possible sceptre head, latter half of 2nd century AD. Yorkshire Museum. #FindsFriday
Begging the question…(p.1of2)