Record ID: MAS-O100234
Object type: BARREL
Broad period: POST MEDIEVAL
County: Down
Workflow stage: Published
This find comprises of the remains of three to four wooden barrels, which were buried in the intertidal sandy substrate of a pleasure beach. The action of the tide revealed the barrels and it is unclear how much of the barrels remain. End of the staves, lengths of timber making the sides of the barrel, are visible and clearly degraded. In some cases these give the appearance of flaring outwards, implying that only the lower portion of the barrel remains. At least one barrel exhibits inwardly projecting staves, suggesting more than half of the barrel remains. There is some evidence for …
Created on: Monday 15th October 2018
Last updated: Monday 30th March 2020
Spatial data recorded.

Record ID: MAS-O100203
Object type: HANDAXE
Broad period: PALAEOLITHIC
County: City of Portsmouth
Workflow stage: Published
Images of this find were sent to Andrew Shaw, flint specialist at Wessex Archaeology who determined that this object is an ovate biface handaxe that is in mint condition. This example is approximately 50-60 mm in width and 80-100 mm in long-axis. He said that the form of the butt and lateral margins are reminiscent of late Middle Palaeolithic handaxes, and it's possible that deposits of that age may be found in the intertidal and offshore zone in. Based on the images alone, he said that it's possibly a late Middle Palaeolithic handaxe dating from between 60,000 to 30,000 years ago. Han…
Created on: Friday 3rd August 2018
Last updated: Tuesday 31st March 2020
Spatial data recorded.

Record ID: MAS-O100169
Object type: KNIFE
Broad period: POST MEDIEVAL
County: Isle of Wight
Workflow stage: Published
Double edged blade covered with concretions, around 25 mm wide and 280 mm long. Displays iron oxidation, and the item has not been preserved well. The blade is roughly 200 mm long and the thicker handle is approximately 80 mm long. Following consultation with Henry Yallop of The Royal Armouries museum, this object can only be discribed as roughly the shape of a common blade form , i.e. roughly lenticular, and about 25 mm broad. What is not clear is whether it was once the complete blade, or that this is part of one, or alternatively that it was the part of another forged object, and o…
Created on: Saturday 20th January 2018
Last updated: Thursday 26th March 2020
Spatial data recorded.

Record ID: MAS-O100099
Object type: HANDAXE
Broad period: PALAEOLITHIC
County: Hampshire
Workflow stage: Published
Heavily sea-rolled and worn worked flint tool, covered in chalk patination (see third image). The flint measures 80 mm long, 60 mm wide and 30 mm thick, and unfortunately about 20% of the working end has recently broken off. Due to wear and damage on this hand-worked tool it has been difficult to confidently identify. Bryan Popple of Bournemouth Natural Science Society and Museum believes it could possibly be Homo neanderthalensis dating to around 200,000 years bp (before present). The smaller size indicates typical Neanderthal workings in comparison to the larger and older Homo heidel…
Created on: Saturday 5th August 2017
Last updated: Wednesday 23rd May 2018
Spatial data recorded.

Record ID: MAS-O100062
Object type: HANDAXE
Broad period: PALAEOLITHIC
County: Hampshire
Workflow stage: Published
Lower Palaeolithic ovate handaxe dating to around 250,000 years bp (before present). Patina evident on its surface indicates that the tool has been deposited in chalk, therefore it probably originated offshore and was washed onshore (rather than eroded from terrestrial river terraces). This identification was made by Bryan Popple of Bournemouth Natural Science Society and Museum. Matt Leivers, an in-house specialist at Wessex Archaeology believes it is a very rolled and abraded Lower Palaeolithic handaxe that has clearly been around on the seabed for a considerable period of time.
Created on: Friday 30th June 2017
Last updated: Wednesday 23rd May 2018
Spatial data recorded.

Record ID: MAS-O100031
Object type: TIMBER
Broad period: MODERN
County: Hampshire
Workflow stage: Published
Possible ships timber or part of other marine or land based structure. Truncated rounded timber with hole and evidence of mounting plate for furniture, broken or rotted off at one end exposing heart wood and a knot in the wood. Approximately 2000 mm long and 600 mm in diameter. The undamaged half of the timber appears in good condition, implying a more recent date for the timber, whereas the other part appears to have suffered extensive degradation. The arrangement of damage to the timber suggests it may have been partially submerged during its useful life, possibly as part of a shore …
Created on: Thursday 9th March 2017
Last updated: Friday 21st February 2020
Spatial data recorded.

Record ID: MAS-O100030
Object type: CANNON BALL
Broad period: POST MEDIEVAL
Workflow stage: Published
Spherical ball composed of sandstone or igneous rock such as granite. The shot measures 50 mm in circumference and would date to the post medieval period. Stone shot was carved by hand using chisels and picks, often being finished once on board a vessel. The use of stone was phased out around the 1630s when iron became a more favourable choice for shot.
Created on: Tuesday 7th March 2017
Last updated: Tuesday 15th August 2017
No spatial data available.

Record ID: MAS-O100026
Object type: SHIPS TIMBER
Broad period: NINETEENTH CENTURY
County: North Yorkshire
Workflow stage: Published
Two fragments of waterlogged wood with two copper fasteners dating from the post-medieval period onwards. The wood may be the remains of two planks of wood used in the construction of a ship as the planks are secured with one copper fastening and a hole is visible where another fastening may have also been used. Copper rivets are the standard method of fastening the planks to each other in clinker constructed vessels, or in the planks to the ribs or frames (Traditional Maritime Skills website, accessed September 2017). Clinker is a method of constructing the hull of a boat by fixing w…
Created on: Saturday 28th January 2017
Last updated: Tuesday 22nd May 2018
Spatial data recorded.

Record ID: MAS-100017
Object type: MAMMAL REMAINS
Broad period: UNKNOWN
County: Essex
Workflow stage: Published
This cattle mandible, or lower jaw, is comprised of two incomplete sections; cattle mandibles are rarely encountered in the archaeological record as conjoined pairs (Zhang et al. 2013). The smaller piece is an incomplete section featuring both pre-molars and molars. The larger piece is fairly complete, with the exception of teeth, extending all the way to the part in which the incisors and canines would be located. This front section is separated from the molar and pre-molar root holes by the diastema. Providing a relative date for this cattle mandible is challenging without further e…
Created on: Tuesday 18th October 2016
Last updated: Monday 16th January 2017
Spatial data recorded.

Record ID: MAS-100016
Object type: UNIDENTIFIED OBJECT
Broad period: POST MEDIEVAL
County: Essex
Workflow stage: Published
This assemblage of metal objects includes an iron handle possibly inscribed with letters; a lead sailmakers palm guard; a bronze scribe; a small gun powder measure; a cup; and what are possibly a musket ball and a rivet; along with several other metal objects of unknown function. All the items appear to be post medieval in date. It is thought that these finds are either being washed into the area from another location or are being exposed by erosion, as each visit to the location reveals more objects.
Created on: Monday 17th October 2016
Last updated: Tuesday 15th August 2017
Spatial data recorded.