As part of a wide range of surveying techniques, metal detecting is being carried out on the farm to retrieve artefacts from the topsoil under controlled conditions.

We were pleased to recruit the help of members from the Sarum Search Society to carry out the first phase of the metal detecting survey. Using the same grid for all the archaeological surveys, the detectorists swept the area several times for metal artefacts.

As soon as any finds were located, they were carefully excavated, bagged and their position marked on the ground. The depth of significant finds was also noted. The exact location of each find was then measured in relation to the grid by project staff for distribution analysis.

A total of 28 artefacts were recovered from the top soil representing a surprising range of activity spanning nearly 2,000 years. Perhaps the most exciting find was a Roman coin (pictured below) discovered by Thomas McKeowan on his very first day of metal detecting! Significantly, the coin is dated to the same period as the Roman pottery found during the shovel pit testing and adds weight to the hypothesis that we are getting ever closer to an occupation site.

		The coin itself. A bronze denarius dating from 222-235 AD featuring the bust of Julia Mamaea, mother of the emperor Severus Alexander and inscribed IVLIA MAMAEA AVG.
		The reverse shows the goddess Vesta holding a sceptre and palladium.
Thomas McKeowan, on his very first outing with the Sarum Search Society, proudly holds the coin he found...

Other notable finds include several lead musket balls dating to the 17th century. It is tempting to imagine that these were used during a skirmish around the time of the English Civil War but it's more likely that they were fired at game rather than people!

Two of the 17th century lead musket balls. These may have been dropped as they appear unused. Others found were flattened through impact...

Dating to roughly the same period, a broken handle of a pewter spoon or fork was also found. This bears a "hallmark" which was stamped to identify the maker and place of manufacture but is no longer legible.

A 17th/18th century spoon or fork handle. Sadly, the "hallmark" in the centre is illegible...

The recovery of numerous artefacts dating from the 19th and 20th centuries testify to the rural character and agricultural history of the farm. For example, a tunic button (below) bearing the design of a fox in full flight probably represents the emblem of a local fox hunting club. Fox hunting was a more common sport during this period than it is today and it's likely that the farm regularly saw pursuits across its land. A number of horseshoes also found during the survey appear to support such an idea.

A 19th/20th century tunic button depicting a fox in full flight. This probably represents the emblem of a local fox hunting club. The reverse is stamped "TREBLE.STAND.EXTRA.RICH".

The agricultural history of the farm from Victorian times is also reflected in the detecting finds. These include a large horseshoe which was probably thrown from one of a team of shire horses used to plough the fields prior to the introduction of steam ploughing later in the 19th century. During the early years of the last century, steam ploughing gave way to petrol driven machinery and numerous finds of plough shares mark the transition to more modern farming techniques. Evidence of the people that farmed the land during this period comes from several items such as a button from a pair of overalls, dungarees or braces and 2 shilling pieces that fell out of their owners pocket...perhaps while they were enjoying a well earned lunch break.

A 4 holed button stamped "BEST.RING.EDGE" was probably used to secure an overall, dungarees or braces and was made in the early 20th century.	A 1 shilling coin (5 new pence) dated 1929 and from the reign of King George V. A further shilling, minted in 1954 during the reign of Elizabeth II, was also found.

Bringing the story right up to date was the discovery of an alloy mole trap (minus mole!) and the ubiquitous coke can!

Together, the metal detecting finds have demonstrated a rich potted history of the farm from the Roman period to the present day. The success of using this type of survey alongside traditional archaeological techniques is clear and we look forward to working with Albert, Chris, Daniel, Ju, Chris, Daniel and Rachel from the Sarum Search Society again in the future.

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For all enquiries on this research project, please contact us at cap@contextone.co.uk