Although the Archive holds a wealth of information from maps, drawings, digital data, context sheets to photographs, it is perhaps archaeology – the ‘stuff’ – filling over 200,000 archive boxes that we are all instantly drawn to. Our ‘general finds’ are the bread and butter of archaeology but for the most part it is our ‘registered finds’ that are intrinsically interesting.

For several years my colleague Adam has been blogging about these noteworthy objects that lie dormant in the Archive waiting to be researched, audited by a volunteer or even make it into a Museum of London gallery display.

Over the next year I’ll be presenting you with ten archaeological objects. Ten objects that emphasise the importance of London’s archaeology in shaping, or even reshaping, our understanding of the City’s history. I have literally over millions of artefacts to choose from, but this won’t be a display of the shiniest or most well-known. My selections may be representative of, or even unique to, an historical period. They may acknowledge the science of how these objects are discovered and how they survive London’s chthonic depths over millennia.

Like all good history we’ll start at ‘the beginning’:

Object 1

Prehistoric (Upper Palaeolithic) Leaf-point Flint Blade 

The first of our objects is a flint blade (not so interesting you may think…). Dredged from the Thames at Longreach (opposite Purfleet) in April 1905, it came to us via the late Geoffrey Gillam of Enfield. This is a classic example of a museum object that has lain dormant; its significance waiting to be unlocked, for this prehistoric flint may actually be the earliest example of an artefact crafted by a ‘Londoner’ in the Museum’s collection.

Our first Londoner in this instance would be a modern human, that is, homo sapiens sapiens. It was during the Upper Palaeolithic, about 40, 000 years ago, that modern humans developed blade technology (our predecessors, Neanderthals, perhaps being commonly associated with flake technology produced hand-axes) resulting in a huge range of stone artefacts being crafted. At the same time scholars have also argued about the inherent aestheticism of these objects – and we may even be looking at London’s earliest ‘work of art’! Lithics expert, Jon Cotton, ‘re-discovered’ this object with colleagues and they will hopefully be publishing it in the near future.

Next month object number 2 – where we’ll skip past a few millennia (and a lot more flints) to the Iron Age…

Thanks to everyone who has taken the time to vote for their favourite objects during he course of this week. Each day you’ve been voting in your droves and have narrowed the original 16 objects down to just 4. Are you ready for one last vote. It’s time for

THE GRAND FINAL

On Monday you chose the Squirrel Token excavated in 1979 at Newgate Street and audited by Wednesday volunteer Alan during week 2. This copper token depicts a squirrel eating a nut surrounded by fleurs-de-lis. Such depictions have also been found on seal matrices with the legend ‘I CRAKE NOTIS’ – ‘I crack nuts’ – referring to the breaking of the seal. This token may relate to the furrier trade, squirrel pelts being in huge demand in the medieval period. The tale of Cinderella may  have involved her losing a squirrel fur-lined-slipper as opposed to a glass slipper, the pronunciation of vair (meaning fur) and verre (meaning glass) in old French being identical!

On Tuesday the winner was the medieval purse. The ‘medieval’ style of wearing a purse was for it to be hung from the waist, attaching to a belt or girdle. Later types would thread through the belt as an anti-bandit mechanism. This one was excavated from the medieval waterfront at Vintry, hence its fantastic survival condition. It was found alongside dress fittings, trade seals, metalworking waste and coins…but none were found in the actual purse! It was audited by Wednesday volunteer Hannah during week 7

Wednesday’s winner was excavated at Rectory Grove in 1980 and was audited during week 9 by Friday volunteer, Mary. This is a rare, late 17th Century ‘bird pot’ designed to be hung on the side of a building for nesting sparrows. A hole at the back of the pot, known as a ‘robbery hole’, allowed access to the sparrow eggs or indeed fledgling sparrows themselves. The LAARC holds only 61 examples and they are a London phenomenon to Britain. Their discovery in relation with wealthy households has led to an interpretation of them as supplying live sparrows for hawking – a privileged pastime. However, sparrows were also used as a dietary supplement by the poorer classes, which questions their context…sparrow pie anyone?

And the last finalist you opted for were these rare examples of Roman sandal rosettes from 1990’s Bull Wharf investigations. The Y-shaped sandal strap would be secured between the toes with a leather peg holding the functional rosette piece – hence the two slits. The additional rosette piece would have been appliquéd to the top and is purely decorative. It is interesting that such detail has been applied to such a small piece of leather. This footwear fashion was popular across the empire (especially Egypt) with examples having been found at military sites including Vindolanda (Hadrian’s Wall), Germany and Switzerland. They were audited by Monday volunteer John O C during week 7.

Only one can win and it’s up to you to help pick the best of the best. If you don’t play, you don’t get a say! For the Grand Final, voting will stay open for 6 days until noon on Wednesday 14th Dec. Plenty of time to tell your friends to take a look and see if they fancy the same one as you. And should you fancy, you can always leave a comment saying why you made your choice by clicking on the title of  this blog in the right hand navigation panel and leaving a comment a the bottom of the blog.

To cast your vote, click on the word VOTE! below:

VOTE!

Voting has now closed.

Big thanks to everyone who has taken the time to play along – we’ve hoped you’ve enjoyed it as much as we have. Huge thanks to my colleague Glynn for the photos and captions. And a massive thanks to all the VIP9 volunteers whose hard work helped us rediscover these fantastic objects!

And so we come to the last of our daily competitions to determine the best object from our ninth Volunteer Inclusion Project based at the Museum of London’s Archaeological Archive & Research Centre.

On Monday you chose the Squirrel Token as the first daily winner and then selected the Leather Purse as Tuesday’s victor. Yesterday you decided that the best object was…

THE BIRD POT!

There’s only one more space left in tomorrow’s Grand Final. Which one will you go for today?

We kick off with an object from week8. Audited by Monday volunteer John W, this is a 17^th Century copper-alloy coin weight, specifically dating to 1612 – 1632 during the reign of king James I. Coin weights were produced to check the weight and quality of coins in circulation – forgery being as great then as it is now. This square type of coin weight (as opposed to round) was introduced at the beginning of the 16^th Century with the addition of the coin value in Shillings (S) and Pence (D). This weight marks twenty-two (XXII) shillings, equivalent to the gold coin known as a unite that was minted at the Tower of London. This object however was originally discovered at Albert Embankment excavations in 1980

Next we’ve a silver Edwardian hatpin originally dug up in 1979 at Wall Garden Farm, but rediscovered during week 6 by Tuesday volunteer Jon. The long pin is actually missing, which led to the object being erroneously interpreted as a ‘mount’. The reverse of the pin has the hall mark ‘P&T’, in addition to three hall marks of an anchor, lion and the Roman numeral ‘I’. This identifies the makers as Pearce & Thompson of Birmingham. Hatpins remained a standard accessory for women throughout the Edwardian period. Unfortunately we have no additional context for this particular pin as it’s unstratified – perhaps accidentally lost by the owner one windy day.

Third up are these rare examples of Roman sandal rosettes from 1990’s Bull Wharf investigations. The Y-shaped sandal strap would be secured between the toes with a leather peg holding the functional rosette piece – hence the two slits. The additional rosette piece would have been appliquéd to the top and is purely decorative. It is interesting that such detail has been applied to such a small piece of leather. This footwear fashion was popular across the empire (especially Egypt) with examples having been found at military sites including Vindolanda (Hadrian’s Wall), Germany and Switzerland. They were audited by Monday volunteer John O C during week 7.

And the final object is the decorated glass head of a mid 18^th Century bird feeder, for caged birds. The tricorn hat may indicate the Duke of Marlborough – a well known soldier and statesman of the time. The head would have faced outward from the cage, so to quote a report on this object: “the anthropomorphism of the feeders was not for the delectation of the pet, but of the owner”! The object was found in a brick-lined pit from the Crosswall in City of London and the contents of its domestic rubbish included the bone of a linnet (song-bird) – perhaps the very bird that the feeder had fed. Friday volunteer Natasha had the pleasure of auditing this object during week 6.

Only one object can make it through to tomorrow’s Grand Final and it’s up to you to decide. Vote for your favourite by clicking on the word VOTE! right here:

VOTE!

Voting has now closed.

Voting closes tomorrow at noon when the winner will join the others in the Grand Final!

Thanks to everyone who has taken the time to play along. We’ve hoped you’ve been enjoying it as much as us. Feel free to leave a comment below. See y’all tomorrow.

We’re back for Round 3 of the competition that gets YOU deciding which object has been the best of the current Volunteer Inclusion Project based at the Museum’s Archaeological Archive.

Yesterday’s competition had some really strong candidates but again one object was miles ahead of the others. The winner with the highest number of votes was…

THE LEATHER PURSE

It joins Monday’s winner, the SQUIRREL TOKEN, in Friday’s Grand Final

Here’s Round 3’s selections:

The first option was only rediscovered last week by Friday volunteer Jane. Although uncertain, it is likely that this is the end of a scissor arm – specifically from a pair of grape scissors. Grape scissors were used during the dessert course of a Victorian dinner and tend to be ornately designed, which this fragmentary object displays evidence of. Dining etiquette was an important part of the Victorian code of polite society – only after the grapes had been correctly cut was it permissible for the diner to use his or her fingers. It was originally recovered from Rectory Grove excavations in 1980.

The second artefact also comes from Rectory Grove, was also audited during week 9 and was done so by another Friday volunteer, Mary. This is a rare, late 17^th Century ‘bird pot’ designed to be hung on the side of a building for nesting sparrows. A hole at the back of the pot, known as a ‘robbery hole’, allowed access to the sparrow eggs or indeed fledgling sparrows themselves. The LAARC holds only 61 examples and they are a London phenomenon to Britain. Their discovery in relation with wealthy households has led to an interpretation of them as supplying live sparrows for hawking – a privileged pastime. However, sparrows were also used as a dietary supplement by the poorer classes, which questions their context…sparrow pie anyone?

The third choice was audited by Monday volunteer Paula during week 3 and is a late Saxon – 10^th Century – whittle tang knife blade found in 1979 at Peninsular House. The handle, now lost, may have been made from animal horn or even ivory. This particular blade is especially interesting because of the wire inlay, producing the gold coloured decoration. Copper and brass wire would have been laid side to side in paired grooves in the iron and then hammered. A similar knife has been found a very short distance away in an excavation at Poultry. Saxon London was a major centre for trade but these commonly found knives are English made.

And the final candidate today was audited by Tuesday volunteer Benji during week 4. This is a fine example of a tassel of the Elizabethan era, dating between 1580 and 1600 from its contextual pottery assemblage. It is rare for fibre to survive archaeologically but is due to the material being dumped and buried in a pond that related to the House of Sir John Fastolf (Shakespeare’s Sir John Falstaff) in Southwark (the excavation was at Unicorn Passage, Tooley Street). It is unknown as to what the tassel would have attached to…perhaps clothing, or something more functional such as curtains. We suggest that maybe it adorned a Shakespearean throw cushion!

Well we don’t make it easy for you. Will the scissors seduce you? Will you be blown away by the bird pot? Knocked out by the knife? Or will the tassel tickle your fancy? There’s only one way to decide:

VOTE!

Voting has now closed. Click any part of this sentence for today’s competition.

Voting will close at noon tomorrow when the winner will be announced and you’ll get to vote in the last of the daily rounds before Friday’s Grand Final.

Thanks to everyone for voting and supporting us!

Each day this week we’re celebrating the success of our ninth Volunteer Inclusion Project, by putting the best objects that we’ve seen over the past 10 weeks up in daily competitions to decide which is the best.

Yesterday saw some tough choices but there was one clear winner. The object you voted as your favourite was…

THE SQUIRREL TOKEN!

This now enters Friday’s Grand Final. And here’s today’s options:

First up is from week 3 and was audited by Tuesday volunteer Carl. This 16^th–17^th Century copper-alloy figurine depicts the English Patron Saint, George, defeating the legendary dragon. It has been interpreted as a dress or belt fitting although the suspension rings at each end suggest that it may have been part of a more complicated mount. If the object did not have these attachments it could be interpreted as a toy. The object is detailed with plate armour, which is a common depiction of the Saint as a Roman soldier (Georgius). An interesting item considering its discovery in 1979 was outside the Tower of London postern gate excavations – perhaps it was lost by a guard…or deliberately discarded?

Next is this late medieval or early post-medieval wooden chess piece audited by Monday volunteer Norma during week 2. Earlier chess or gaming pieces are non-figurative and usually made of bone. Chess originated in India, known as shatranj, with the gaming pieces represented military divisions. The ‘bishop’ was originally an elephant and the later design of these pieces with a split head may be representative of the elephant’s tusks. Chess became very popular across Europe in the Middle Ages, the deep groove in the piece at this time representing a bishop’s mitre. It was originally discovered in 1979 at Miles Lane.

Third up is a well preserved example of a medieval purse. The ‘medieval’ style of wearing a purse was for it to be hung from the waist, attaching to a belt or girdle. Later types would thread through the belt as an anti-bandit mechanism. This one was excavated from the medieval waterfront at Vintry, hence its fantastic survival condition. It was found alongside dress fittings, trade seals, metalworking waste and coins…but none were found in the actual purse! It was audited by Wednesday volunteer Hannah during week 7

The last object was audited by Friday volunteer Susan during week 5. This is the base of a Roman samian cup dating to 160 – 200 AD and discovered at Seal House in 1974. On the base’s interior is the stamp of the pot maker: one Saturninus of Lezoux in central Gaul (Roman France), from where a huge amount of samian was exported to the wider Roman Empire. The potter Saturninus shares his name with the Roman winter festival the Saturnalia – in honour of the god Saturn – at which Roman social norms were inverted. Considering Winter has now kicked in, this seemed an appropriate object to include as an object of the week!

And now it’s your time to choose today’s best object. Which will you go for? To vote, click on the word VOTE! below:

VOTE!

Voting has now closed but you can vote in Round 4’s competition

Voting will close at noon tomorrow, when the winner will be announced and Round 3 will open.

Thanks for playing!

Alright people! Over the past 9 weeks volunteers at the Museum of London’s Archaeological Archive & Research Centre have been working their way through loads of awesome objects, checking that they’re ordered, accessible and stored correctly. During the course of this ninth Volunteer Inclusion Project, 16 objects have stood out as the cream of the crop, the tip top treasures, the stars of the show.

However we want to know which one YOU think is the best of best. So each day this week, we’re putting four objects up against each other in daily competitions.

It’s simple to play: Look at the pictures, read the captions, decide which one you think deserves to be that day’s winner and click on the word VOTE at the end of the page.

Here are the first four contenders:

Our first object was excavated in 1979 at Newgate Street and audited by Wednesday volunteer Alan during week 2. This copper token depicts a squirrel eating a nut surrounded by fleurs-de-lis. Such depictions have also been found on seal matrices with the legend ‘I CRAKE NOTIS’ – ‘I crack nuts’ – referring to the breaking of the seal. This token may relate to the furrier trade, squirrel pelts being in huge demand in the medieval period. The tale of Cinderella may  have involved her losing a squirrel fur-lined-slipper as opposed to a glass slipper, the pronunciation of vair (meaning fur) and verre (meaning glass) in old French being identical!

The second choice was audited by Friday volunteer Richard during week 4. This anthropomorphic appendage was found in a dump outside the southern Tower of London postern gate. The ceramic foot is well crafted showing sophistication (unlike some moulded pieces) and would have been part of a statue considering its size. A hole in its base may have aided the firing process in the kiln, rather than having been part of the statue’s mounting. The fabric of the clay is a London type and was probably made between 1500 and 1680. The statue may have been disposed from the Tower of London, or perhaps from the many industrial activities that pervaded the Tower’s area in post medieval times.

The third option is a piece of medieval stained window glass. Also found at Newgate Street in 1979, it was rediscovered by Tuesday volunteer Katerina during Week 5. Rather than being mounted this piece looks as though it has been ‘grazed’, that is, chipped away round the edges, perhaps from a larger piece – an early example of glass recycling! By the 16^th Century window glass such as this would have been found more commonly in secular buildings as opposed to religious buildings. The central design is that of the Tudor Rose – a common motif of this period.

The final contender comes from Week 8 when Tuesday volunteer Sunny was working through the site archive for 1980’s Albert Embankment excavations. It’s previously been an object-of-the–month back in October 2008, where it was identified as a potter’s tool and this certainly fits with its Lambeth location where the pottery industry flourished from the late 17^th Century. The Portable Antiquities Scheme (PAS) has logged three examples of this object (outside of London), but all are missing the wheel. However, they have been interpreted as Roman tile combs (focusing on the use of its T-shaped end) but this dating isn’t contextual. Perhaps they’re actually post-medieval pastry jiggers!

Tough decisions but which is your favourite? To cast your vote click here:

VOTE!

Voting has now closed. Click here for today’s competition: Round 4

Voting will be open until noon tomorrow when the winner will be revealed and round two’s choices will be up for the vote.

Thanks for playing along and feel free to leave a comment below.

]]> http://www.mymuseumoflondon.org.uk/blogs/blog/object-of-laarc-vip9-round-1/feed/ 1 http://www.mymuseumoflondon.org.uk/blogs/blog/laarc-vip8-over-out/ http://www.mymuseumoflondon.org.uk/blogs/blog/laarc-vip8-over-out/#comments Mon, 11 Jul 2011 11:49:58 +0000 Adam Corsini http://www.mymuseumoflondon.org.uk/blogs/?p=5646 And so we come to the final blog of LAARC VIP8 – the eighth Volunteer Inclusion Project based at the Museum of London’s Archaeological Archive & Research Centre.

25 volunteers have joined us over the past 10 weeks working on improving the storage and accessibility of over 50 finds archives with 1000s of artefacts packed, checked and sorted. We’ve rediscovered some amazing objects along the way including the sixteen that competed in the Object Of The Project Competition last week (the winner is revealed below) and as the Project Officers, it’s been even better to see how the volunteers have formed new friendships and acquired new knowledge. Here are some of our favourite moments from the 10 weeks:

Coming across old disintegrating foam packaging that resembled Swiss cheese. Really glad we found and replaced these bits.

Discovering marvelous objects such as this piece of leather from the Rose Theatre

Love this tobacco pipe photo from week 7

Making the films with Wednesday's volunteers

Enjoying ourselves in our excellent specialist workshops

And generally having a bit of fun along the way!

Yep. It’s been another great project and once again a big thank you to all our volunteers that give up their time to improve our collections.

A huge thank you to all the specialists, curators and museum staff that have run workshops and led tours during this project. We couldn’t do what we do without their brilliance.

And finally a massive thank you to everyone who has been reading our blog and especially to those who last week were voting in our “Object of LAARC VIP8″ competition. After a record number of votes we can reveal that the object you chose as the best of LAARC VIP8 is…

THE ROMAN INTAGLIO!

Congratulations to Tina Vaughan (1st Prize winner of 2 tickets to the Museum’s next LATE – Fabulous Fifties), Sheila Maddock (2nd Prize winner of 2 free tickets to Museum of London Docklands new Pirates Exhibition) and Rosemary Hudson (3rd Prize pair of free tickets for an archive tour) who all voted for this object and were the first three names to be pulled out of a hat.

All prizes include a pair of free tickets for a tour of the archive led by one of our “Voluntours” Volunteers. Over the past month we’ve been training our volunteers to lead tours of our stores and offer people a great opportunity to visit Europe’s largest Archaeological Archive, exploring behind the scenes, handling objects and learning about LAARC Life from the viewpoint of a volunteer. Tours take place every Friday and the first and third Saturdays of the month. To book a tour please visit our Website: Tours of Mortimer Wheeler House

That’s us done for another project, but we’ll be back soon updating you on all things LAARC. We always welcome feedback and if you have anything you would like to comment on regarding our projects, the object competition or these blogs, please leave a comment on this blog.

DO YOU LIKE OBJECTS?

DO YOU LIKE WINNING PRIZES?

WELL YOU’VE COME TO RIGHT PLACE! LADIES AND GENTLEMEN, BOYS AND GIRLS, BLOG READERS OF THE WORLD! IT’S TIME FOR…

OBJECT OF LAARC VIP8:

GRAND FINAL!

Once upon a time, 10 weeks ago, 25 individuals arrived at the Museum of London’s Archaeological Archive & Research Centre looking for a chance to learn new skills, handle real archaeology and help improve the museum’s archaeological collections. As each week passed, these individuals formed strong teams, learning how to handle, audit and store artefacts from all periods of London’s past. Along the way they came across some historical treasures – 16 objects that stood out amongst the rest as nuggets of history that provide a connection to those that went before us. The teams became known as those of the eighth Volunteer Inclusion Programme. The objects decided to compete against each over to see which was best. And which object is the best? Well… that’s for you to decide…

AND THE NOMINEES ARE…

Monday’s round 1 winner was this Clay Tobacco Pipe audited by volunteer Margo during Week 2 of the project but originally found in 1977 at St Thomas Street excavations. It dates from 1850-1900 and the decoration features a steam locomotive on one side with a fully rigged (three masts, all square rigged) ship on the obverse. The type of locomotive is called the Planet type after Robert Stephenson’s Planet of 1830 and the ship is likely to be a Clipper, which became prominent from the 1840s and are probably best know for use in the tea trade with China. Perhaps the pipe celebrates Britain’s Industrial Revolution and the advances of 19^th Century transportation.

Tuesday’s round 2 winner was this Roman Intaglio. Found during the excavations at Watling Court and audited by Tuesday volunteer Jim during Week 7, it’s only 6mm wide, made of carnelian and dates to the 1^st Century AD. Depicting Fortuna, the personification of luck, with pantheistic attributes of wings, helmet and shield, this intaglio would originally have been set in a ring and used as a seal, which is testament to literacy in Londinium. A number of high quality intaglios have been excavated from Roman London, suggesting a gem-cutting studio may have existed…

On Wednesday, the victor in round 3 was this Figurine Salt. dating from the 17th Century but discovered in 1979 at Hibernia Wharf. Audited in Week 8 by Friday volunteer Khushboo, this is one of three figurine salts found within a dump of kiln material. The figurine would originally have held a dish for table salt (hence the name) and although salt dishes are common (as are figurines) a figurine salt is rare and the one here has no known parallel. What is additionally unusual is the design – the figures have Afro-Caribbean features and are seated, naked. These figures are also wasters in that they have traces of unfired glaze on them, otherwise known as biscuit ware.

And finally, Thursday’s winner of round four, the Witch Bottle audited by Thursday volunteer Donna during Week 2. Originally a stoneware Bellarmine bottle, this was reused as a witch bottle to divert the evil eye and act as a protective ward against witches (hence the name). Bent and twisted pins are usually found inside, using sympathetic magic to personally harm the witch. Other common contents can include blood, urine, hair or brimstone. This example is rare as it has its contents still in situ and finds like this show how mass produced ubiquitous objects (drinking vessels) can be reused and transformed into a sacred object of unique function. It was originally excavated in 1977 at St James’s Passage Subway.

So there you have it, your final four. But which is the best and will this lead to you winning a prize? All you have to do is decide which of the four is your favourite and worthy of being “Object of LAARC VIP8“. Should your choice win, you will be entered into a draw – just remember to leave your contact details in the space provided when voting (and should you not want to be entered into the draw, you can skip that bit and just select your favourite object)

Up for grabs is not one, not two, but THREE prizes!

Third Prize is a pair of tickets for a tour of LAARC, the largest archaeological archive in Europe! (click here for more)

Second Prize is a pair of tickets for a tour of the archive PLUS two free entry tickets to the excellent new exhibition at Museum of London Docklands – PIRATES! The Captain Kid Story(click here for more)

First Prize is a pair of tickets for a tour of our archive PLUS two complementary tickets for next month’s awesome LATE event – FABULOUS FIFTIES! (click here for more)

So what are you going to go for? To cast your vote click here:

Voting has now closed

Voting will stay open all weekend and the winning object plus the winners of the prizes will be announced at noon on Monday 11th July.

Click here to find out the Winning object of Round 2

Was that your choice? Ready to see if your favourite wins today’s contest?

Round 3

First up then a Roman object from Blomfield House excavations in 1987. Audited by Tuesday volunteer Lucy during Week 4, this hobnailed leather sole comes from a military boot known as  a caliga. The hobnails both bind the layers of leather together and also allow greater traction for marching.  The central ‘chicken foot’ design is rare for London (shapes such as circles, diamonds and triangles are far more common). This shoe may be of a burial context, excavated outside of the Roman city. Interestingly a number of associated funerary vessels were discovered with offerings of chickens…

Your next choice is a piece of pottery! This ‘encrusted’ Border ware Mug dates to the 17^th Century and the central band of decoration is made of dense flint chippings which are stuck to the pot with a clay cladding. This decoration would have made the mug difficult to hold when drinking from, because of the weight. The green glaze is very typical of Border ware pottery, so called because the industry was located on the Surrey-Hampshire county border. Originally excavated in 1964 at Hopton Street, Southwark it was repacked during Week 9 by Tuesday volunteer Michael.

The third option was audited by Wednesday volunteer Ed during Week 4. This silver denarius was excavated in Southwark in the area of Roman Watling Street, Southwark and dates to 196-211 AD. The obverse depicts the bust of Julia Domna, wife of Emperor Septimius Severus and mother of fratricidal Emperor Caracalla. The reverse depicts the personification of the Virtue Pietas (PIETAS PVBLICA). The coin’s value was equivalent to a Roman soldier’s daily pay, which was increased under Severus.

The final candidate today dates from the 17th Century but was discovered in 1979 at Hibernia Wharf. Audited in Week 8 by Friday volunteer Khushboo, this is one of three figurine salts found within a dump of kiln material. The figurine would originally have held a dish for table salt (hence the name) and although salt dishes are common (as are figurines) a figurine salt is rare and the one here has no known parallel. What is additionally unusual is the design – the figures have Afro-Caribbean features and are seated, naked. These figures are also wasters in that they have traces of unfired glaze on them, otherwise known as biscuit ware.

Well we don’t make it easy for you. Tough choices but only one will make it through to Friday’s Final. Which one will it be? That’s up to you to help decide. To vote for your favourite click here:

VOTING FOR ROUND 3 HAS NOW CLOSED

Voting closes tomorrow at noon when the winner will be revealed and join Monday’s tobacco pipe and Tuesday’s intaglio. One more round tomorrow before Friday’s Grand Final where if the object you vote for wins, you stand a chance of winning a free tour of the archive to see these objects plus many more!

Each week during the London Archaeological Archive & Research Centre’s current Volunteer Inclusion Programme (LAARC VIP8), we’ve been rediscovering some awesome objects that archaeologists have dug up over the years.Yesterday’s competition was a tough one, but loads of you voted and your winner was…

CLICK HERE FOR YESTERDAY’S WINNER!

Was that the one you went for? Ready to play again?

Round 2

First up it’s this 18th Century perfume bottle excavated  at Watling Court in 1978. Audited by Tuesday volunteer Nicola during Week 6,  it’s inscribed: “Warren/Perfumer/Mary-bone/Street/London”. Richard Warren appears to have been a successful perfumer and later formed a partnership with Richard Rosser who produced ‘Milk of roses’ – an early 19^th Century skin cosmetic advertised in The Times. LAARC also holds a number of tin-glazed ointment jars with Warren & Rosser’s branding suggesting they were prominent 19^th Century retailers.

Your second option was audited by Thursday volunteer Juan during Week 3. This bone awl (c.1600-1650) is of especial interest because it is made from the antler tine of a red-deer. The awl would have been used for piercing leather and perhaps its appearance suggests leather working was undertaken. This ties in nicely with the site is was found at (Cutler Street) where evidence of other industries including horn-, ivory- and glass-working from the 16^th – 17^th Century was also evident.

The third choice was audited by Thursday volunteer Rebecca during Week 9. This decorative badge depicts a dove flying from Noah’s Ark as described in Genesis (8). Early Christians in Rome first adopted the symbol of a dove and olive branch as one of peace, for which it is still used today. Although not Roman itself, the badge was discovered in Greenwich Park, where an extensive Roman temple complex in London’s hinterland is beleived to have stood.

Today’s final candidate also comes from the excavations at Watling Court. Audited by Tuesday volunteer Jim during Week 7, this Roman intaglio made of carnelian dates to the 1^st Century AD and is only 6mm wide. It depicts Fortuna, the personification of luck, with pantheistic attributes of wings, helmet and shield. This intaglio would originally have been set in a ring and used as a seal, which is testament to literacy in Londinium. A number of high quality intaglios have been excavated from Roman London, suggesting a gem-cutting studio may have existed…

Another set of fine choices, but which shall join yesterday’s winner. Only one way to decide – get voting by clicking here:

VOTING HAS NOW CLOSED!

Voting closes tomorrow at noon when the winner will be announced and Round 3 will commence! Winning objects will compete in Friday’s Grand Final where the winning object comes attached with a prize for one lucky voter. Did someone mention free tickets…

To celebrate their work, we’ve picked the cream of the crop and EVERY DAY this week, the objects will be competing against each other to win your vote to decide which object is the best out of them all! It’s easy to play along, just have a look at each day’s four candidates and click on the link at the bottom of the page to cast your vote.

Round 1

To start us off, it’s this metallic purse discovered in 1978 at Finck Street, SE1. Audited during Week 3 by Friday volunteer Natalie and dating to the turn of the 19th Century, it’s hallmarked with the letters EPNS. Electroplated nickel silver was widely used from the 1840s and it’s likely to have been produced in Birmingham where electroplating was commercially patented by George Elkington. The object’s size and partial chain suggest it may have been a chatelaine purse worn from the waist, popular in the late 19th Century.

Second up is a clay tobacco pipe audited by volunteer Margo during Week 2. Found in 1977 at St Thomas Street excavations and dating from 1850-1900, the decoration features a steam locomotive on one side with a fully rigged (three masts, all square rigged) ship on the obverse. The type of locomotive is called the Planet type after Robert Stephenson’s Planet of 1830 and the ship is likely to be a Clipper, which became prominent from the 1840s and are probably best know for use in the tea trade with China. Perhaps the pipe celebrates Britain’s Industrial Revolution and the advances of 19^th Century transportation.

Your third choice was audited by Friday volunteer Wendy during Week 6. This rare find is a leather book cover, used to decorate manuscripts. It’s hard to make out the central stamped decoration, but fleurs-de-lis are visible at the corners. Other decoration could include metal ornamentation and this cover still has its functional copper clasps in situ. The leather would be applied to a wooden front and back cover (some of which survives under the clasps) which bound the manuscript together. It was originally discovered during excavations at Morgan’s Lane, Tooley Street

The final object today was rediscovered during Week 7 by Friday volunteer Tina. Excavated at Watling Court in 1978, this exceptionally well preserved mount is in the form of a dolphin and would have served as a footing perhaps for a small casket. Dolphins were sacred to the Roman god Neptune (also the god of horses) and appear in the design of many small finds such as furniture handles, buckles and glassware. The ‘gilt’ effect is actually an adverse reaction due to burial conditions.

All mighty fine contenders but which one do you think has the edge of the others? To vote for your favourite, click here: VOTE!

VOTING HAS NOW CLOSED!

Voting closes tomorrow at noon when the winning object will be announced  and will go into Friday’s Grand Final where it will fight it out with the rest of this week’s daily winners! There will also be a PRIZE that you could win for voting! Make sure you return for tomorrow’s competition when more will be revealed!

Thanks for voting!

16 objects rediscovered during the 5th LAARC Volunteer Inclusion Project were narrowed down to 4 during the first rounds of voting and we can now reveal he winner is…

The Roman Finger Ring Key!

This key was rediscovered by volunteer Nuri and would have probably opened a casket or small box. Originally it was found by archaeologists in 1975 during excavations at St Magnus, New Fresh Wharf, (SM75)

And that’s that for VIP6. We started VIP 2 years ago and have seen over 150 volunteers participate in the programme. During September we shall be revealing details about our 7th VIP project (Oct-Dec) and how YOU can get involved.

But for now, we’re taking a little break. Toodle Pip

OBJECT OF VIP6! THE GRAND FINAL!

Monday’s winner was this super Saxon “Bird” Pin. Audited by Friday volunteer Claire during Week 8’s session, this is a rare example of a late Saxon (C11^th – C12^th) ivory ‘hipped’ pin’. It was found during excavations at Merton Priory. (MPY88) The pin could be interpreted as representing a bird with feathered wings, eye and the shaft as an elongated beak. The presence of this late pin (as well as waste from antler and ivory working) on the site indicates affluence and perhaps a settlement nearby, maybe of a monastic nature.

The second winner was repacked during week 5 and was a joint effort by Monday’s volunteers Emma & Lucy. Found in 1974 at “The Triangle” (TR74), this is a very rare example of a woven Roman basket. A leather thong would have connected with the leather tag at the top to close the basket. Preserved by the waterlogged conditions of the waterfront, the site was originally a Roman quay. The material deposited in the quay may have come from a warehouse clearance and perhaps the basket was used by a Roman constructing the quay in the first half of the 2^nd Century AD and then lost or disposed of.

Wednesday’s winner was repacked by Monday volunteer Deborah during Week 3. This  fine medieval sheath from Billingsgate excavations (BWB83) dates to around the mid 14th Century. The engraved/embossed decoration features a number of anonymous animals. Due to the zoomorphic decoration the blades are usually interpreted as ‘hunting’ knives, although knives were commonplace and multipurpose tools in the medieval period.

The final winner of the week was audited by Friday volunteer Nuri during Week 4. This metallic object comes from another large excavation near the archaeological waterfront of the Thames – St Magnus, New Fresh Wharf (SM75). This very well preserved Roman finger ring had a very practical purpose for the security minded Roman. It would probably have opened a small box or casket containing valuables such as jewellery. To date we still haven’t discovered a matching key and lock…

Tough choices but there can only be one winner. And it’s up to you to decide. This time however, you’ve got plenty of time to make a decision as the competition is open for a over a week and voting closes on Wed 25th August at noon.

To cast your vote and have your say click here:

VOTE

Thanks to everyone who has voted over the past week and has supported our VIP6 project. We hope you’ve enjoyed it.

If you have any thoughts you’d like to share about the competition or our project please leave a comment below.

]]> http://www.mymuseumoflondon.org.uk/blogs/blog/object-of-vip6-grand-final/feed/ 0 http://www.mymuseumoflondon.org.uk/blogs/blog/object-of-laarc-vip6-round-4/ http://www.mymuseumoflondon.org.uk/blogs/blog/object-of-laarc-vip6-round-4/#comments Thu, 12 Aug 2010 11:06:50 +0000 Adam Corsini http://www.mymuseumoflondon.org.uk/blogs/?p=2358 Welcome back blog readers for the fourth & final round of the competition before tomorrow’s Grand Final.

Yesterday’s winner was…

THE LEATHER SHEATH!

Congratulations to Deborah whose object joins Monday’s winner Claire’s Saxon Bird Pin and Tuesday’s winners Emma & Lucy’s Roman Basket

Your final four await:

Candidate #1 is a handsome little vessel all the way from Cologne (though excavated in 1975 at Newgate Street (GPO75)). Dating from the mid 16th Century, it bears a bearded face which is commonly interpreted  as mocking Cardinal Bellarmine, an unpopular figure of the time. The jug is decorated with an inscription, which loosely translates as: ‘What God wants, he gets’, as well as six portrait heads. It was packed during Week 2 by Monday volunteer Michael

Your second choice was packed by Friday volunteer Miriam during Week 6. Originally found at the site of the former City of London Boys School (BOY86), this is part of a far larger medieval, woven textile (probably wool). The preservation of this rare find is once again due to the archaeological conditions of the Thames waterfront – specifically a reclamation dump supporting the riverside wall. The weave type is described as ‘tabby’ and the original colour of the wool was probably much different, maybe even coloured!

Third up is one for the leather enthusiasts out there. Another from Week 6, Friday volunteer James audited this fragile find which is a fine example of a post-medieval (1485-1714) shoe heel. The layers of leather are fixed together by metal pins from the base. On top can be seen holes for the heel’s attachment to the shoe’s sole, providing detailed evidence of how these shoes were constructed. It was excavated in 1986 at Carter Lane (CAT86)

Your final choice is a spectacular Roman artefact. Audited by Friday volunteer Nuri during Week 4, this metallic object comes from another large excavation near the archaeological waterfront of the Thames – St Magnus, New Fresh Wharf (SM75). This very well preserved Roman finger ring had a very practical purpose for the security minded Roman. It would probably have opened a small box or casket containing valuables such as jewellery. To date we still haven’t discovered a matching key and lock…

Which one do you want to see join the others in tomorrow’s Grand Final?

To vote click here: VOTE

Thanks to everyone who has voted over the past four days. We’ve hoped you’ve enjoyed playing and viewing just a selection of the fine artefacts within LAARC’s walls.

For more info about excavations the objects come from or what went on during the VIP week’s that they were rediscovered click on any of the highlighted text above.

See you for the Grand Final

The second object going into Friday’s Grand Final is…

THE ROMAN BASKET!

Well done to Lucy & Emma who join Monday’s winner Claire’s object, the Saxon Bird Pin

Ready for Round 3…

The first contestant today was repacked by Monday volunteer Deborah during Week 3. This  fine medieval sheath from Billingsgate excavations (BWB83) dates to around the mid 14th Century. The engraved/embossed decoration features a number of anonymous animals. Due to the zoomorphic decoration the blades are usually interpreted as ‘hunting’ knives, although knives were commonplace and multipurpose tools in the medieval period.

Second up was only repacked by Monday volunteer Maria last week during Session 8. Originally excavated at Sir John Cass School (CASS72), this is a somewhat deceptive 19th Century bottle. Its ‘marbled’ colouration is actually a result of the glass degrading and would originally have been coloured brown. It reads: ‘By The Kings Patent True Cephalick Snuff’ and as such would have been used to treat aliments of the head. The snuff may not have been tobacco based, but rather a reference to how the medicine was administered.

Your third choice was excavated at Newgate Street in 1975 (GPO75) but rediscovered during VIP6 by Monday volunteer Miranda during Week 4. This Roman copper lamp would have been more costly than the more common ceramic lamps (which are sometimes dusted with mica in an effort to imitate their metallic counterparts). The lamp has lost part of its crescent shaped handle but has survived fairly well considering! It would originally have been suspended by a chain from the wall or ceiling, attached to the side and back ringlets, but would emit very little light.

Today’s final candidate was audited during week 7 by Friday volunteer Simona. Excavated in 1976 at Milk Street (MLK76), this oyster shell of the late 12th Century has been reused as a paint palette. Oysters were a popular delicacy in the medieval period, and there is a long tradition of them being reused as palettes. The traces of red are probably vermillion – an expensive product for its time which could have been used in wall paintings of churches or for the illumination of manuscripts.

Four great objects but which is your favourite? To vote click here: VOTE (voting has now closed but you can still vote in round 4)

Voting closes at noon tomorrow (Thurs 12th Aug).

Join us then to find out the result of today’s competition and choose your final winner before Friday’s Grand Final.

For more info about excavations, what we did each week or for larger photos, click on any highlighted word in the text or image.

THE SAXON BONE BIRD PIN!

Today’s competition then:

First up, an object from Week 7. Audited by Monday volunteer Laura, this cool 10^th Century comb used to be on display in the Museum of London’s old Saxon gallery! Combs are one of the most common artefacts from early medieval London and obviously an important accessory. The comb’s teeth are made from a sheet of horn and the ‘side-plates’ from cattle ribs which are riveted together. In the later medieval period horn is replaced by wood as a more common material for combs, although ivory is also popular throughout. This one came from excavations at Milk Street during 1976 (MLK76)

The second object trying to win your support comes from New Fresh Wharf excavations (SM75) but was rediscovered during week 5 by Wednesday volunteer Gillian. This amphora neck bears painted graffiti which translates as ‘the best fish sauce’. This storage vessel would have therefore contained the commodity garum (which we could call ‘Roman ketchup’!). The form of the amphora may be a Dressel 28, produced in the Guadalquivir valley of Baetica (Roman Spain) and imported to London.

The third candidate was also repacked during week 5 and this time it’s a joint effort by Monday’s volunteer’s Emma & Lucy. Found in 1974 at “The Triangle” (TR74), this is a very rare example of a woven Roman basket. A leather thong would have connected with the leather tag at the top to close the basket. Preserved by the waterlogged conditions of the waterfront, the site was originally a Roman quay. The material deposited in the quay may have come from a warehouse clearance and perhaps the basket was used by a Roman constructing the quay in the first half of the 2^nd CenturyAD and then lost or disposed of.

The final object today was the very first object to be packed during this project. Saturday volunteer Paul packed this aftefact from the General Post Office at Newgate Street (GPO75) during week1. This piece of human skull exhibits sharp force trauma to the right frontal side, above the eye socket. The polished edge and style of wound suggest this could have been inflicted by a sword. Although this may not have been the fatal blow, it would certainly have caused trauma and swelling to the brain!

To vote for your favourite object from today’s selection, click here: VOTE (Voting has now closed, but you can vote in round 4)

Voting closes tomorrow afternoon (Wed 11th Aug) at 13.00.

Thanks for playing and don’t forget there’ll be another competition tomorrow with four more objects to choose from. Click on the “RSS” icon towards the top right of the page to keep updated with all the competitions this week.

OBJECT OF VIP6!

The Winner of Object of VIP5

Ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls, whether you’re regular readers of these pages or brand new visitors, I’d like to bring to your attention, our new competition which shall hit these pages next week.

Some of you may well be aware that at the museum’s archaeological archive we run a Volunteer Inclusion Project, where a wide range of volunteers help us out by packing, sorting and checking our finds from the 1970’s. Each week we rediscover an amazing array of finds that deserve some attention and each week we select two artefacts that stand out among the rest.

We’ve now got 16 star objects (a sample are above) which we’ve been admiring over the past 8 weeks in our display case outside our archive. But as not everyone has the chance to visit our tip top store, we’d like to share the fun with you all, right here on the blog pages, wanting your votes to decide on a winner.

So, there’s only one thing we can do…

LET THE FINDS FIGHT IT  OUT!

It’s time for…

OBJECT OF VIP6 COMPETITION!

Each day next week, 4 objects will be put up in a DAILY CONTEST competing against each other trying to win your favour.

Because of this, be sure to check these pages each day, to see which objects will be strutting their stuff. There will be four different objects to choose from each lunchtime, Monday -Thursday, with each daily victor competing in the grand final on Friday. And the best way to make sure you don’t miss a thing is by clicking on the “RSS” icon on the top right of this page.

So get those fingers ready and get set for a bit of lunchtime fun each day.

OBJECT OF VIP5!

Warming Pan

Monday’s victor with over half the votes was discovered by volunteer Sarah. The object was repacked during week 4 of the project when working on the material from London Docks, The Highway E1, (LD76). It probably dates to the C17^th. These pans are rare and hardly ever found in a complete state. When we showed this to the MOLA specialists they got very excited (as most specialists do) and added it to their database immediately. This pan would have held embers/coals and would have been used for general household heating and warming.

Pilgrim Badge

Tuesday’s success won with just over 50% of votes and was this super saintly 16th Century pilgrim badge. It was rediscovered by volunteer Magdalena, when going through metals from the Chaucer House (CH75) archive. A rare copper alloy badge (most are lead based), the saint depicted is likely to be St Edmund, seen in the middle, tied against a tree, whilst either side a posed archer shoots arrows at him.

Leather Shoe

Your third choice just about pipped the others to the post with only2 more votes than the 2nd place object.  When working through the Bonhill Street archive (BON76), this Tudor shoe (c.1550) cropped up. It was rediscovered by former VIP3 volunteer Paul, who returned as a “Graduate” for VIP5.  The shoe probably belonged to a child considering its size, but what’s really nice is that it features a decorated toe-cap over the vamp and still has the strap and buckle attached.

Highgate Ware

The final winner of the week won with only 3 clear votes and was the Highgate Ware beaker from London Docks (LD76). Repackaged by Thursday volunteer Ben, this beaker is a local ware and it’s rather nice to see one complete like this. Produced around 70-160AD, if you click on the pic and look closely, you can still see remains of the barbatine dot decoration, which is characteristic of these ‘poppy head’ beakers.

So now, you’ve seen your four winners, but which do you think is the cream of the crop, the tip top treasure, the most deserving object to be called

OBJECT OF VIP5!

Right, enough with the trying to big things up, get voting!

To vote click here : VOTE (THIS COMPETITION IS NOW CLOSED)

This time you have more than a week to vote! As the winner will be officially announced at our end of project party and on these pages on Wednesday 5th May.

Many thanks to everyone who has cast a vote. We hoped you enjoyed playing along and discovering what volunteers find at LAARC.

LEAD AMPULLA

Repackaged by Thursday volunteer Jenny, this lead Ampulla commemorates a pilgrimage to the relic of the True Cross at Bromholm Priory in Norfolk. Ampullae were a type of pilgrim souvenir specifically designed to act as containers of holy water. This well worn Ampulla (c.1250) depicts Christ on the Cross. The three crosses above his head denote the Calvary.It is part of the Trig Lane archive (TL74)

TOBACCO PIPE

Repackaged by Thursday volunteer Michael, this object comes from Chaucer House (CH75). It’s a Victorian clay pipe with some unusual decoration on the bowl: a lamb with flag facing a lion. This could allude to a pub/s where the pipe was sold. The pipe stem also bears the name of the maker: ‘H Spaull’ as well as the name ‘London’!

BRONZE TOOL FOR LEATHER WORKING

Repackaged by Monday (and occasional Thursday) volunteer Jermaine, this Roman ‘tool’ is somewhat enigmatic but has been considered a leatherworking knife for curriers. The large quantity of leather from the site where this was found, Triangle, Billingsgate Buildings (TR74) strengthens this interpretation. A unique aspect of this ‘knife’ is its personalisation with the name GERMA[NVS] etched on to it.

HIGHGATE WARE POT

Repackaged by Thursday volunteer Ben. A star find from the Shadwell excavation of 1976, (LD76) this ergonomic beaker is fairly unique as it’s perfectly complete! A local ware, with a manufacture date of 70-160AD – if you look closely you can still see remains of the barbatine dot decoration, which is characteristic of these ‘poppy head’ beakers.

And there we have it. The final contenders for the Object of VIP5 competition.

To cast your vote for today’s favoured object click here : VOTE (this competiton is now closed)

Voting closes at 10am on Friday 23rd April.

Tomorrow it’s… THE GRAND FINAL! where all four winners this week compete against each other to claim the title of Object of VIP5! Thanks for playing.

…the St Edmund Pilgrim Badge . It received just over 50% of votes (congrats to volunteer Magdalena who repacked this object)

Today’s choices then:

LEATHER SCABBARD

This object from Trig Lane (TL74) was repackaged by Wednesday “Graduate” volunteer, Lesley, who had previously volunteered on VIP1. It’s a piece of leather scabbard that has been repeatedly stamped with fleur-de-lys (‘Lily Flowers’), an heraldic symbol very common in the medieval period. Frequently stamped and incised on scabbards, fleur-de-lys are found on many other artefacts from Trig Lane.

KNIFE & SCABBARD SET

Repackaged by former VIP4 volunteer, now Wednesday ‘Graduate’, Mark. This is a rare example of a scabbard and ‘by-knife’. The whittle-tang knife was probably not intended for the scabbard originally but has survived wedged between the layers of calf leather. Four heraldic badges of a purely decorative nature can just about be seen along the scabbard. Found when auditing St. James’ Passage Subway, 2-7 Duke’s Place (DUK77)

CERAMIC PIPKIN

Repackaged by Wednesday ‘Graduate’ volunteer Rosemary, who previously joined us for VIP1. This late-medieval London type ware pipkin has some unusual features. It appears to have been over fired in the kiln and has shrapnel embedded in the side from a nearby exploding pot. It’s wonky handle and partly reconstructed body gives it…un je ne sais quoi. It was rediscovered when working on the Ludgate Hill archive (LH74)

LEATHER SHOE

Finally, repackaged by former VIP3, ‘Graduate’ volunteer Paul, when working on the Bonhill Street archive (BON76), this Tudor shoe (c.1550) probably belonged to a child considering its size. It features a decorated toe-cap over the vamp and still has the strap and buckle attached.

To cast your vote to decide which is today’s best object click here : VOTE (this competition is now closed)

Thanks for playing and don’t forget to revisit us tomorrow for the final round before the grand final!

The Warming Pan!

It was a clear winner with over half the votes.

Here are the next four objects hoping to reach Friday’s final:

WOODEN PATTEN

Repacked by Tuesday volunteer Karine, this patten from Trig Lane (TL74) was used to raise shoes above the ground and were very fashionable and high status objects of their time (C13^th – C15^th). This particular patten, dating to c.1440 and probably of alder or hazelwood, is the ‘hinged’ type.

PILGRIM BADGE

Repackaged by Tuesday volunteer Magdalena this is an unusual C16^th copper-alloy pilgrim badge. The badge depicts two archers, left and right, firing arrows at a central figure bound to a tree. This figure could be interpreted as either St Sebastian or St Edmund (a C9^th King). Saint Edmund seems the more likely due to the anchor shape of the badge and his association as a saviour of those in distress at sea. It was excavated at Chaucer House (CH75)

IRON SPUR

Repackaged by Saturday volunteer Sarah, whilst working on the Trig Lane archive (TL74), this iron rowel spur would originally have been tin plated. It is a fine example of how archaeology of waterfront sites survives so well. The length of the neck and overall form suggests a C15^th date and would have been as much a status symbol as well as a functional object for the original rider.

CLAY TOBACCO PIPE

Repackaged by Thursday volunteer Jackie, this early Victorian Tobacco pipe features a ‘Turks’ head for a bowl. Along the stem the maker’s stamp ‘Critchfield’ can be read. Critchfield were a family of London pipe makers who are known to have operated in Bermondsey, Bethnal Green and Westminster. It was found at Chaucer House (CH75)

So which was your favourite? Vote by clicking here

Voting closes 10am Wed, 21st April. Thanks for playing and join us again tomorrow for round 3

OBJECT OF LAARC VIP5!

Over the past eight weeks, volunteers on LAARC’s 5th Volunteer Inclusion Project have been working through material from the 1970’s, improving the storage and accessibility of these archives. Along the way, some spectacular objects have been rediscovered. Here are the first four objects fighting for your vote:

DOG SKULL

Repacked by Monday volunteer Zoe, the first featured object of the VIP project was this well preserved dog’s skull from London Docks, The Highway E1(LD74). This poor ‘collie’ was only in his first few years when he died (as can be determined from the lack of wear on the dental enamel).

WARMING PAN

Repackaged by Monday volunteer Sarah (with help from Zoe & Bianca), this warming pan also from London Docks, The Highway E1, (LD76), probably dates to the C17^th. Rarely have these pans been found in such a complete state and as such it has been added to the MOLA database by our Ceramic Specialists. This pan would have held embers/coals and would have been used for general household heating and warming.

FLOOR TILE

Repackaged by Monday volunteer Bianca, this ceramic floor tile belongs to the ‘Westminster’ type. Its central decoration in yellow glaze depicts the head of a King. Based on the dating of the tile to the period c.1250-1300 this could be interpreted as Henry III or Edward I. These tiles commonly decorated monastic buildings. It was excavated at Trig Lane, Upper Thames Street, EC4. (TL74)

GLASS BOTTLE

Repackaged by Monday volunteer James, this post-medieval glass bottle is in excellent condition especially considering its deposit in the very topmost stratigraphy of the site. The high kick to its base (pontil), its rim and ‘onion’ shape suggest an early C18^th date. It comes from 48-50 Cannon Street, EC4. (CS75)

And there we have it. Your first four choices.

To cast your vote click here . Voting closes at 10am tomorrow, 20th April.

Thanks for playing and join us again tomorrow for the next four objects. The easiest way to keep updated is by clicking on the RSS icon on the top right of this page or the bookmark button, just beneath.

]]> http://www.mymuseumoflondon.org.uk/blogs/blog/object-of-vip5-round-1/feed/ 0 http://www.mymuseumoflondon.org.uk/blogs/blog/get-voting/ http://www.mymuseumoflondon.org.uk/blogs/blog/get-voting/#comments Tue, 13 Apr 2010 22:59:15 +0000 Adam Corsini http://www.mymuseumoflondon.org.uk/blogs/?p=990 It’s Back! And it’s bigger than before! And it’s bound to be the best thing you’ll be voting for this year… It’s…

LAARC OBJECT OF THE PROJECT!!!

Last year LAARC ended its Object Of  The Month competition. But you can’t keep a good thing away for too long, so we thought we would revive a little bit of archaeological voting pleasure and whet your voting appetite for forthcoming events like the General Election or Britain’s Got Talent.

Each week during our current LAARC VIP5 project, we’ve been selecting the two best objects that have been either repacked or audited by our volunteers. These objects are currently on display outside the LAARC, but seeing that not everyone has the opportunity to visit our excellent store, we thought we’d share the fun with you all, right her on the blog pages.

Each day next week, four tip top treats from the archive will compete against each other trying to win your favour. That’s right, there will be a DAILY COMPETITION! (See I told you it was bigger and better than before).

Because of this, be sure to check these pages each day, to see which objects will be strutting their stuff. There will be four different objects to choose from each day Monday -Thursday, with each daily victor competing in the grand final on Friday. And the best way to make sure you don’t miss a thing is by clicking on the “RSS” icon on the top right of this page.

So get those fingers ready and get set for a bit of lunchtime fun each day.

For the past four years, the London Archaeological Archive & Research Centre (LAARC) has run an object of the month competition. Since its conception and humble beginnings, it has developed and evolved into a popular monthly event, enjoyed by LAARC visitors, volunteers and Museum staff alike.

Back in late 2005, the idea of an object of the month was not a new one. If you visited the websites of several museums across the country, you could find a monthly updated page dedicated to an object within their collections. The Museum of London however, wasn’t one of these and with over 6 million archaeological artefacts to choose from, it seemed a pity not to highlight our goodies.

LAARC volunteers regular get to rediscover incredible objects when working on site archives and it was a common for us to joke that certain objects were so good that they were definitely the best object of the day, if not the week, if not the year. So around Nov 2005 I thought we should do something about it. As luck would have it, the next month we inherited a suitable display case and come January 2005, our first outstanding object that caught our eye.

The first object was a Samian bowl from Borough High Street, which had been repaired in antiquity with lead rivets. (It later proved so good the V&A borrowed it for one of their exhibitions) And so the LAARC joined the many other museums and had an object of the month!

However, being the innovators that we strive to be, I wanted our Object of the Month to go beyond us simply picking an artefact and with the number of cool stuff volunteers were coming across each week, I thought about making it a competition, with several objects competing against each other to win votes; the one with the most became that month’s object.

And so it continued through January to December for the whole of 2006, yet the focus was still pretty much a competition directed at our volunteers and visitors to the archive. In 2007, we took it to the next step and hosted the competition on the LAARC website. This then progressed in April 2008 to the museum’s archaeology blog page, which gave voters the option to leave comments.

In 2009, the competition was due to continue on the blog site with the format the same as it always had been; three objects chosen by volunteers from the material they had recently been working on. However, around the start of the year, the blog’s server went down and forced to find an alternative host, I also thought it time to refresh the format.

For the past year, each month there has been one object selected by a LAARC volunteer, one by a LAARC member of staff and the final by a Museum of London curator. Unlike before, the objects were no longer necessarily from recently worked on archives, but could also include people’s favourite objects. Yet, the basic concept remained: Three objects, one vote, one winner selected by the public.

As the months passed the audience grew and each month saw more votes, a few comments about the objects from voters and even people requesting to nominate objects. Halfway through the year, special competitions were held, including former staff nominating, a special retirement competition and a “lucky loser” second chance month. Almost 1000 votes were received this year in total.

The final monthly competition took place in November, when for the first time seven objects were nominated, these by seven members of staff from seven different museum departments. As with previous years, all the monthly winners go through to December’s Object of the Year, which you can vote for by clicking here.

Having reached its peak, the LAARC competition now retires on a high, with its legacy continuing on these blog pages as the Museum of London now has its own Object of the Month, with contributions from all over our museum staff and volunteers. Thoughout 2010 you can discover a whole range of spectacular objects held within the museum’s collections.

Thanks for voting in the past and enjoy the objects in the future!