Archaeology
The archaeology collection includes objects acquired throughout the history of the Society, but only began in earnest with the discovery in 1867 - 1876, during building operations in Black Horse Yard (east side of Church Street), of the refuse heap of the Anglian abbey of St Hilda. Subsequently, several local collectors left us their collections of prehistoric flint and bronze tools. Large collections were received from R.T.Gray, E.K. Simms and A.Smith.
The displays are arranged chronologically, from the Mesolithic to the Middle Ages, and include the following :
- Mesolithic. Objects from the hunter-gatherer site at Starr Carr (near Scarborough), circa 7000 B.C.
- Neolithic. An extensive collection of flints, no doubt including a few fakes made by the the notorious Victorian forger Flint Jack. Copies of the Neolithic carved stones uncovered by Fylingdales moor fire in 2003 are also present.
- Bronze Age. Burial urns and tools from local barrows.
- Iron Age. Relics of the Romano-British village at Roxby.
- Roman. Collections of objects from three local Roman sites; Cawthorn Camps, Goldsborough signal station and Lease Rigg Camp.
- Middle Ages. A reconstructed 13th century iron furnace or bloomery from Goathland, artefacts from the medieval pottery kiln at Ruswarp Bank and finds from excavations at Mulgrave Castle.
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| Flint Arrowhead | Bronze Age Weapons |
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| Roman Lamps | Roman Glass |
Roman Inscription from Ravenscar
Anglo-Saxon bronze brooch