A rare Iron Age battle trumpet, known as a carnyx, has been discovered in west Norfolk during excavation work for a new housing development. The near-complete bronze instrument is part of a wider hoard uncovered last summer on privately-owned land as part of routine archaeological investigations linked to planning permission.
The carnyx, one of only three known in Britain and among the most complete examples found in Europe, features an animal head and would have been used by Celtic tribes to rally warriors in battle. Romans, who frequently depicted them as war trophies, were also fascinated by the instrument.
Other objects recovered from the hoard include a sheet-bronze boar’s head originally from a military standard, five shield bosses, and an iron object of unknown origin.
Mark Hinman, chief executive of Pre-Construct Archaeology, which carried out the excavation, said: “Before this dig began our project manager had a feeling that this site would be special. We are so impressed with the team responsible for this find. They discovered something completely unexpected, paused for breath, then followed best excavation practice to recover these rare and fragile objects.”
To protect the delicate items, experts removed a block of soil containing the objects before undertaking initial investigations. Further work to study and conserve the hoard is being carried out by Historic England, Norfolk Museums Service, and the National Museum of Scotland, a leading authority on carnyces.
Dr Tim Pestell, senior curator of archaeology at Norfolk Museums Service, said: “This find is a powerful reminder of Norfolk’s Iron Age past which, through the story of Boudica and the Iceni people, still retains its capacity to fascinate the British public. The Norfolk Carnyx Hoard will provide archaeologists with an unparalleled opportunity to investigate a number of rare objects, and ultimately to tell the story of how these came to be buried in the county 2,000 years ago.”
Claudia Kenyatta and Emma Squire, co-chief executives of Historic England, described the discovery as “remarkable” and said it would be “hugely significant for our understanding of ancient British culture”.
The legal status of the hoard is expected to be determined by a coroner early this year, and its long-term location has not yet been decided.
The discovery will feature in the new series of Digging For Britain on BBC Two, with an episode scheduled to broadcast at 9pm on 14 January.
