A COMMUNITY archaeology dig involving 32 volunteers will showcase their finds - including a loom weight that could date back to the fifth century.
Millom and District Local History Society will hold their Finds Day on Saturday, August 24 from 1 to 3pm at Holy Trinity Church in Millom.
This free event includes presentations, a photographic display, some of the main artefacts uncovered on show, a final report of the project and take and cake.
Cumberland Council helped fund 32 volunteers to take part in digging seven trenches near Millom Castle and Holy Trinity Church during June and July. The project was filmed by Digging for Britain, and may feature in the next series.
The project discovered three ancient field boundaries, that the moat around Millom Castle was much bigger than previously thought, and the largest ever collection of Medieval pottery sherds to be found in this part of Cumberland.
"Other fascinating finds included a King Edward I silver penny, a loom weight that could be the earliest Medieval find in the area - possibly dating 400-1000 AD, a beautiful tiny buckle in the shape of a stirrup from the 13-14th century, six lead shots from a musket or pistol, probably linking in with the English Civil War when Millom Castle was besieged in 1644, a fascinating tiny clay tobacco pipe with the beautifully carved image of a young African boy, a spindle whorl, and an interesting badge with the head of either a boar or eagle and the Latin motto: vix ea nostra voco," history society member Jan Bridget said.
The motto is an extract from the Roman poet Ovid and the full quote reads: "For our birth, our ancestors, and things which we have not ourselves done – these things I can hardly call our own.” According to the history society, this was the personal motto of the Earl of Warwick and the Duke of Argyll.
One volunteer said: "I think a lot of people think mainly about Millom’s industrial history but the dig and its wider context are starting to open up a much wider history for the area. We're beginning to map a much longer timeline for the local community.”
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