You’ve heard it before, and now you’ll hear it again, because it’s just so cool. Lee Brown, Wayne Derbyshire and Keith Dodds have found a hoard of more than 100 silver coins in the Blyth area of Northumberland through the use of metal detectors. The coins are hammered and appear to date to the 12th century. The image of what may be a king is on some of the coins, although just what king has yet to be determined. (Henry II and Richard the Lionheart were kings in 12th-century England, so it could be one of them.)

Mr. Brown, who only took up metal detecting last November, proclaimed he was “absolutely gobsmacked to find hammered coins so soon.” The term “gobsmacked” has become my favorite Britishism. I think I’ll start using it in conversation here in Central Texas. My neighbors already think I’m a little strange.

Find out more about the discovery in the two-page article at the JournalLive.

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Metal detectorists find treasure! originally appeared on About.com Medieval History on Thursday, September 17th, 2009 at 00:23:06.

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As any archaeologist can tell you, the drains, middens, and garbage dumps of long-lost dwellings can offer some of the most revealing data about how their inhabitants lived. Now an ongoing excavation at Paisley Abbey is focusing on the drains. Archaeology professor Steven Driscoll of Glasgow University noted that the site was unusually well-preserved, and added, “This is a loo that hasn’t been flushed for 500 years.” Can the drains provide valuable data? Find out in the article by Simon Mundy at the Herald.

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Scottish drain may offer up archaeological treasure originally appeared on About.com Medieval History on Wednesday, September 16th, 2009 at 23:03:45.

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In the Balhae Kingdom, in Russia’s Maritime Province, archaeologists have unearthed a large “ondol” heating system. Literally meaning “warm stone,” ondol systems have flues that carry warm gases under the floors of living spaces. They were a feature of Korean households, and have not been found in Chinese, Khitan or Jurchen dwellings. The discovery includes pipes almost 15 meters long and appears to date to the 10th century. Find out more in the item at Zeenews.com.

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Being a fountain of artistic energy is not a necessary prerequisite to becoming a historical re-enactor, but in the case of Douglas Herring, immense skill in photography and expertise at web design and upkeep have made him a definite treasure for the Seattle Knights.  Douglas, in turn, has benefited from the challenges of joining the [...]