Artifacts from three burial sites in Britain and one Horned Helmet
The vast wealth of the British Museum is impossible to see in just a few hours. Even in such a short time, I had far too many photos. Today I’m showing the contents of just one display case it, because I found it especially interesting. This case highlights three burial sites from different eras. And then adding one photo of a wonderful horned helmet found in the Thames River.
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| A glass vessel from a Roman grave in Britain |
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| Pottery grave goods from St. Albans. |
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| A pair of shoes from one of the graves. |
“The three cremation burials whose contents are shown here are of different dates and were excavated in very different circumstances. The late Iron Age grave from King Harry Lane, St Albans, demonstrates that Roman artefacts and customs were already familiar in Britain before the military conquest in AD 43. The grave from Elsenham, Essex, though so disturbed by ploughing that precise recording was not feasible, is important because it contains a very rare and interesting type of enamelled vessel, and is dated by pottery and coins. The other grave-group, from Southfleet, is an early discovery from an important site, and includes another exceptional find, the elegant pair of shoes.”
Horned helmet
Found in the River Thames at Waterloo Bridge, London
150-50 BC
Originally this helmet would have been a gleaming golden colour and decorated with red glass studs. The helmet is unlikely to have been used in battle and was probably a form of ceremonial headdress. The helmet is a very rare find, it is the only Iron Age horned helmet to be found in Europe. The helmet is made from sheet bronze sections held together with bronze rivets.The raised decoration is repeated on the back and front of the helmet.
Dinner with our friends Sheila and John
In the evening we met our friends for dinner at their club. Here are a few photos.
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| It had been 10 years but when we got together it seemed much less time. We started with a drink (sparkling water for all). |
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| The four of us at the table before dinner. |
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| Our meals: lamb chops, bouillabaisse, and curry with rice and salad. |
Blog post © 2026 mae sander
5 comments:
So intriguing, particularly the elegant shoes and the horned helmet!
Can you imagine being the one to find that helmet in the Thames. Wow. Those shoes are pretty fascinating too. hugs-Erika
I am so amazed that glass vessel survived all these years. The metal makes sense but glass? Wow. A lovely looking dinner. I have never been to the British Museum -- I need to at least take a small crack at it next time.
I'm so excited for you being in London and can't wait to read all of your posts (scrolling back and to come). We went three times to the British Museum when we "lived" in London (3 amazing months and wayyy too long ago). Certainly agree -- never enough time to see all of those wonders. Thank you for sharing.
This is a brilliant post. I truly love the pieces you have featured. Nice photos of you and your friends.
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