Finds

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Removing painted wall plaster from a collapsed wall at 10 Gresham Street

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One of the wooden boxes used to lift water in the Gresham Street water lifting device

What do archaeologists find?

The Romans used a lot of pottery, which doesn't decay easily, making it the most common type of man-made find on Roman sites.

Wood and leather usually decay over time, except on waterlogged sites when they can be very well preserved. Archaeologists recovered over 400 ancient timbers from Londinium's amphitheatre.

Metal objects may survive, depending on exactly which metals they were made from. Gold, for example, doesn't corrode at all. Iron objects often corrode until it's impossible to recognise their original shape. Scientific techniques such as x-rays can reveal the object's original shape under the corrosion.

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Coins can provide precise dates for any objects found in the same context

What can finds tell us?

Coins and pottery are especially useful in dating archaeological layers.

Archaeologists can work out how a site was used by analysing where different types of objects were found. They can identify how buildings were used, or discover what kinds of industries took place across a town.

By carefully analysing finds we can learn a huge amount, such as how people made different objects and what they used them for.

Environmental evidence, such as animal bone, seeds, shells and pips, can tell us about the natural environment and climate, but also about diet, lifestyle and the economy of an area.

What are you studying?
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