Archaeological finds in Tasburgh unveiled for the first time
The finds from a Tasburgh community archaeology project spanning the prehistoric, Saxon and medieval eras were revealed to the public for the first time on Saturday.
A Discovery Day was hosted at Tasburgh Village Hall to shed light on the artifacts unearthed in 15 test pits, which were dug last month in the back gardens of local residents, in addition to the results of a new geophysical survey of the famous Tasburgh Earthworks monument.
Revealing neolithic tools, medieval-era pottery and animal bones, Georgian coins and a Second World War bullet, the digs took place as part of the Imagined Land project, led by the Norfolk Archaeological Trust and funded with part of a £74,700 Heritage Lottery Fund grant.
The project’s lead archaeologist, Giles Emery, from Norvic Archaeology, said the biggest discoveries had yielded new theories about what Tasburgh’s Schedule I-listed monument may have been.
“The digs have generated thousands of years of evidence,” he said. “We actually have signs of the prior medieval occupation in Lower Tasburgh. That’s something we didn’t really know before.
“There has been strong interest from the community. A lot of local people knew of the site before, but weren’t familiar with the history, so we have managed to raise the profile of it in the village.”
We actually have signs of the prior medieval occupation in Lower Tasburgh. That’s something we didn’t really know before
Mr Emery added the formation of a local archaeology and history group in Tasburgh and creative activities at Preston Primary School inspired by the finds showed the legacy of the project would be a heightened interest in local history.
