A presentation by Finds Liaison Officer Ben Paites (Portable Antiquities Scheme) about artefacts recorded from the Tower of London foreshore

1. Finds from the
Tower: 2,000 years
of foreshore
Ben Paites
Finds Liaison Officer (Essex)

3. Periods represented by the PAS
in London

4. The Tower of London

5. Some context
Some Late Iron Age activity (Wallace, L. 2015)
Roman activity for around 400 years.
Initial construction – Late 11th century (William the Conqueror)
The outer walls built
WWII – significant damage to the Tower of London
0
410
1066
1200
1300
1939-45
2015

6. Surveys at the Tower
2010 PAS presence
2011
2012 PAS presence
2013 PAS presence
2014
2015
A week-long survey with an open weekend for the public.

7. c. 400m of
foreshore.

8. London before Londinium
Not survey –Iron Age glass
bead (LON-041951)
Nothing from the surveys
Several flints from Palaeo-
Neolithic
Nothing from the Bronze
Age (directly in front of the
Tower)
Some pottery and a glass
bead from the Iron age

9. The Roman foreshore

10. The Tower
foreshore
Britain

11. Some other finds
2013 survey – Roman Aucissa Non-survey find – Medallion of Marcus Aurelius
type brooch (LON-9F78A0) as Caesar (LON-8553C1)

12. Early Medieval London
Not from the surveys - Carolingian strap set including:
4 strap ends
2 strap slides
1 strap loop
9th century zoomorphic
strap end (LON-B3C3C1)

13. Medieval activity at the Tower
2010 survey - 15th century
sewing ring (LON-DD0938)
Craft industries
Not-Survey - Late 15th century
ceramic spindle whorl (LON-
370317)

14. Armour
2012 survey - Late 14th century
chainmail (LON-BC28F5)
Not Survey – 13th-14th
century barbed arrowhead
(LON-ECF872)

15. 2013 survey - 17th century Curry comb (LON-B84AA2)
Horses and other animals
The Post Medieval foreshore

16. Weapons
2012 survey - 17th century
Pappenheimer rapier (LON-
D29987)
2013 survey – 17th-19th
century blown rifle
(LON-C9F4D7)

17. Recreation
2012 survey – lead
die (LON-BED161)
2010 survey – AD1550-1700
book fitting (LON-8D58A3)

18. Coins from the Tower mint
Not survey – clipped halfpenny,
uncertain ruler (LON-9567D3)
Other themes
Not Survey – Mis-struck farthing
of Charles I (LON-FD1C63)

19. International relations
2010 survey – 17th century star
costrel handle from Seville
(LON-75B78F)
Not survey – AD1489 Double
Mite of Philip I of Castille,
minted in Ghent (LON-0B34D7)

20. Children
2012 survey – AD1636-46 lead
alloy toy frying pan (LON-A6B625)
Not survey – lead alloy finger
ring (LON-D33DC6)

21. Decadence
Not survey – AD1500-50 Silver gilt
dress hook with stone settings
(2008 T484/LON-763994)
Not survey – 17th century silver
grooming set (2011 T350/LON-
F6F381)

22. Concluding remarks
Everything you see is what you would expect to see from such a
site:
Military evidence
Animal grooming and care
Small scale industry
Children at play
Domestic waste fitting a Royal palace

23. Contact details:
Email – Ben.Paites@colchester.gov.uk
Phone – 01206 506961
Twitter - @BenPaites
Thank you for listening!