Iron age brooch found at college

Truro College's grounds have given up some interesting artefacts

Archaeologists have discovered an iron age brooch among historic relics during an excavation at Truro College.

A large collection of pottery fragments has also been unearthed as well as evidence of houses from more than 2,000 years ago.

The dig has been going on close to a site in Truro where an Iron Age settlement was found last year.

The discoveries will eventually go on show at the Royal Cornwall Museum in the city.

A team of archaeologists has been working for a month on the site of playing fields at Truro College.

James Gossip said: "We found the remains of four Iron Age properties, probably two of which are houses, and they represent the remains of a farming community which lived here 2,100 years ago."

Many fragments of pottery have been found dating from the first or second century BC.

Diggers are starting work on a £20m extension to Truro College and the archaeologists were given four weeks to excavate the site before it was developed.

The college's director of operations, Colin Denley, says there was a suspicion that the area harboured secrets.

"We heard for a while there was probably some Iron Age site up there but until the county council began the digging I don't think either they or us expected it to be quite as big as it is."

The highlight of the dig has been the discovery of the brooch.

Mr Gossip says such items are rare in Cornwall.

"Its design is taken from Celtic communities which stretch from Switzerland over to Bristol," he said.