Digging the Past
Archaeology is the scientific study of past cultures and the way people lived based on things they left behind. Objects give us information about groups of people, language, religion, technology and values and Hull Museums archaeological collection is wide and varied. The collections include, boats preserved from the Humber and the Roos Carr figures, Roman mosaics and other artefacts, coins and much much more. Read our narratives to learn more about the past peoples of Hull and the surrounding areas.
Hornsea 'Anglo-Saxon' Cemetery
The Early Anglo-Saxon people of Hornsea believed in an afterlife. When they died, food and personal belongings were buried with them to aid them on their journey. Their grave goods are now part of The Hull & East Riding Museum's collections.
The Story of the Horkstow Mosaic
This famous mosaic was found in 1797 by labourers preparing a kitchen garden at Horkstow Hall, Lincolnshire. Unfortunately they destroyed large areas of it before realising the importance of what they had unearthed - a mosaic floor belonging to great hall of a large and wealthy villa.
Romans Through the Looking Glass: Roman Glassware
At the Hull and East Riding Museum, there is a collection of Roman glass that is not only beautiful to look at but has a fascinating story to tell about its use during the Roman Empire. This story explains a little about where and how the glass was made and who would have used it.
The Rudston Charioteer Mosaic
The Charioteer Mosaic is one of the most striking and unusual mosaics to have been found so far in Roman Britain. Named after the central figure standing on a 'quadriga' or four-horse chariot, it paved a large room at a 4th century AD villa near Rudston, East Yorkshire. It is thought to have been laid between about 325 and 350 AD.
The Rudston Aquatic Mosaic
The Aquatic Mosaic paved the 'apodytherium' or changing room of the bath-house at the Roman villa near Rudston, East Yorkshire. It was discovered in 1933 together with the Venus Mosaic and the Swastika Mosaic.
The Horkstow Mosaic
The Horkstow Mosaic is one of the largest and most interesting mosaics ever found in Britain. It was uncovered in 1797 by labourers making a kitchen garden at Horkstow Hall in Lincolnshire and would have graced a large hall at a very wealthy and sophisticated 4th century Roman villa.
The Oldest 'Ball' in Britain
Hull museums are the owners of the oldest ball in Britain. This narrative describes this oddly shaped wooden bowling ball which dates back to the thirteenth century and discusses how it would have been used.
History of the Hull & East Riding Museum
This narrative tells the story of the Hull and East Riding Museum which is located in what is now known as Hull's Museum Quarter.
The Brantingham Geometric Mosaics
The Roman villa at Brantingham, 3km northwest of Brough in East Yorkshire, was first discovered in 1941 when two geometric mosaics were found in a stone quarry known as the 'Cockle Pits'. They were recorded and then reburied. What followed is one of the biggest mysteries in Yorkshire archaeology.
The Rudston Swastika Mosaic
This remarkably complete mosaic is known as the Swastika or Geometric Mosaic and was found in 1933 at the Roman villa near Rudston, East Yorkshire. It came from the central room of the same house as the Venus and Aquatic Mosaics which are also displayed at the Hull and East Riding Museum. The mosaic measures 2.75m square and dates to the later 3rd century AD, the same date as the Venus Mosaic.
Everything you always wanted to know about mosaics
Everything you always wanted to know about mosaics and had no one to ask. Read this narrative to find out more about mosaics, how they were made, what they were made of, how they chose their designs and who made them.
The Phoenix Project
Thomas Sheppard ignored suggestions about protecting the collections from the possibility of damage from air raids. Unfortunately in 1943 Hull's Municipal Museum on Albion Street took a direct hit by an incendiary bomb. The building couldn't be saved and hundreds of objects were lost. But workmen digging on the site of the museum some fifty years later made an interesting discovery...
The Brigg Logboat
One of the largest and most impressive exhibits in the Municipal Museum in Albion Street before the Second World War was the Brigg prehistoric logboat. It was discovered in April 1886 by workmen constructing a gasometer on the right bank of the River Ancholme in Lincolnshire. Older and larger than the Hasholme Boat, she was the largest logboat ever discovered in Britain.
Plaster Casts
Discover the large collection of plaster casts of Roman, Anglo-Saxon and Medieval inscriptions and sculpture that were displayed in the Municipal Museum in Albion Street, Hull before the war.
Billy, Charley and the Shadwell Forgeries
Not everything in a museum is what it appears to be! Find out in this story about Billy and Charley and their Medieval forgeries which fooled Victorian England.
The Leopards Panel
The so-called 'Leopards Panel' was found in 1971 at the 4th century Roman villa at Rudston, East Yorkshire. It formed the floor of a threshold into the room of the Charioteer Mosaic and may have been placed under an archway. Like its neighbour it dates to between about 325 and 350 AD.
Rock and Roll! - Or How to Lift a Mosaic
Rock and Roll! - Or How to Lift a Mosaic. This narrative will show you how mosaics are lifted out of the ground so they can be displayed in museums for all to see.
Roos Carr Figures: Faces From the Past
In 1836 some labourers cleaning a ditch at Roos Carr, near Withernsea in East Yorkshire made a surprising discovery. They found a collection of well-preserved wooden objects including several 'warrior' figures with stone eyes, a wooden box, a serpent-headed boat, and various other wooden articles 'too much decayed to remove'. Discover the mystery behind these weird and wonderful objects.
Medieval Decorated Floor Tiles
Before the thirteenth century, most tiled floors were mosaics. As they were costly and complicated to lay, floor tiles started to be made that had decoration on them. They were hand-made and fired in kilns that were often nearby the building they were made for. They featured animals, plant patterns, coats of arms and some even copied the geometric mosaics that they replaced. Discover them for yourself...
Samian Ware: From the pottery to the table
The Roman period is famous for many things like gladiators, mosaics and emperors, but it also saw the introduction of a red glossy pottery, called Samian ware. Find out in this story where and how it was made and who would have used it.
Roman Brooches
One of the most common discoveries at Roman sites in Britain are brooches. This is not surprising as the Romans used them to fasten their clothing. They come in many different types and are a very useful tool in helping date archaeological sites.
The Brantingham Tyche Mosaic
The so-called 'Tyche Mosaic' was discovered in 1961at the site of a large villa near Brantingham, about 3km northwest of Brough in East Yorkshire.The mosaic features a distinctive figure at the centre wearing a crown and surrounded by a nimbus or halo. Some experts believe this figure is a 'Tyche' (pronounced tie-key), a personification of a province or tribe, and this has given the mosaic its name.
Roman Coins in Britain
At its height the Roman Empire stretched through Europe, Asia and Africa, and encircled the Mediterranean. Throughout this empire all citizen, including those in Britain, used the same coins. Read an introduction to just some of the coins that the 400 year occupation brought to Britain.
Roman Coin Designs (part 1). Emperors, Empresses, Gods and Goddesses
Getting information across the empire was no easy task for the emperor. Romans had no newspapers, radio or television and most of the population was illiterate. Coins were a good way for emperor to get his ideas across and show images which celebrated the power and glory of Rome. Read about just some of the designs and why they were used, starting with Emperors, Empresses, Gods and Godesses.
Roman Coin Designs (part 2). Animals, The Army, Places and Buildings.
Getting information across the empire was no easy task for the emperor. Romans had no newspapers, radio or television and most of the population was illiterate. Coins were a good way for emperor to get his ideas across and show images which celebrated the power and glory of Rome. Read about just some of the designs and why they were used.
The Roman Mint
Countless Roman coins were made during the Roman Empire. Find out how they were made and when they were made in Britain.
