Ten archaeological objects reveal east Cheshire history

A hoard of Tudor and Stuart silver coins, found near Congleton in 1992

Ten objects have been selected from archaeological finds across east Cheshire to reveal the area's history.

The objects range from a prehistoric Bronze Age cremation urn to a hoard of coins from the 17th Century.

Each of the ten artefacts relate to some part of east Cheshire's past and will be on display in local museums.

It is hoped that by compiling this list, the public will make the most of this opportunity to learn about their heritage and local archaeology.

The various exhibitions coincide with the start of the national Festival of British Archaeology 2010, which runs from Saturday, 17 July to Sunday, 1 August 2010.

Now in its 20th year, it is an annual celebration of heritage organised and held by museums, local societies, national and countryside parks and heritage organisations across the UK.

A list of events to be held in Cheshire museums and libraries during the festival can be found on the website: http://festival.britarch.ac.uk

The 10 objects for east Cheshire

• Bronze Age cremation urn, from Church Lawton. Excavated from a burial mound in the1980s

• Iron Age gold coin, from Warmingham. It shows the disjointed image of a horse

• Lindow Man. The body of a 25-year-old man from the era of Roman occupation, found in 1984, murdered or ritually killed in a bog at Lindow Moss

• Roman camp stool, from Middlewich. Bronze, iron and wood artefact found during excavations in the 1960s

• The Middlewich Diploma. A fragment of Roman military bronze diploma or discharge certificate found in 1939. It was issued by Emperor Trajan in 105 AD to a soldier on the completion of 25 years' service.

• Roman lead salt pan, Nantwich. It provides evidence of the importance of the salt industry in Cheshire.

• Astbury Longboat. Discovered during gravel digging at Astbury in 1923. It is made of oak and nearly 12ft long and probably dates from the Saxon period of about 1000 AD

• Spurstow Cross. A medieval silver-gilt pendant crucifix from the late 14th or early 15th century, found at Spurstow in 2000

• The Nantwich Salt Ship. This hollowed-out tree trunk survives from the medieval salt industry. It was found in Nantwich in 2003

• The Congleton Coin Hoard. A spectacular trove of more than 3,000 Tudor and Stuart coins. It was buried in a field between 1670 and 1675 and is believed to have belonged to wealthy Congleton businessman John Walker.

A medieval ‘salt ship’ for storing brine, excavated in Nantwich in 2003

"Rare and unusual"

Dr Jill Collens, project manager at Cheshire Archaeology Planning Advisory Service, said: "Some of the objects selected are rare and unusual, others are more commonplace but all help us to understand more about how our ancestors lived."

Councillor Andy Knowles, Cabinet member with responsibility for health and wellbeing, said: "This is an exciting initiative which highlights the wealth of fascinating archaeological artefacts that have been unearthed in Cheshire East - and the richness of our local history.

"Hopefully this will inspire people of all ages not only to explore the many historic treasures found in our museums but also to get out and about and explore our landscape on foot to discover and connect with our past."

Handouts are available at Nantwich and Congleton museums and Middlewich Library, where the artefacts are on display during the festival

More information can be found at local libraries and leaflets can be downloaded at www.cheshireeast.gov.uk