Anglo-Saxon bone comb with runic inscription

The archaeology collection began 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. From this the Museum acquired a number of objects including a bone comb with runic inscription, a rare bronze comb, and the seal of Archdeacon Boniface of Rome. Subsequently, several local collectors left us their collections of prehistoric flint and bronze tools, and a few years ago, through the generosity of a private donor, we were able to acquire the many Anglian artefacts from the first major excavation at the Abbey in the 1920s - now the subject of a special display.

The displays include objects from the Mesolithic (c7500 BC) hunter-gatherer site at Star Carr (near Scarborough), an extensive collection of Neolithic (New Stone Age) flints - no doubt including a few fakes made by the notorious local Victorian forger Flint Jack, Bronze Age pots and tools from local barrows, and relics of the Romano-British village at Roxby. There are exhibits illustrating Roman culture from various places and finds from the local fourth century "signal station" at Goldsbrough together with the (latest) Roman inscription stone when the signal station at Ravenscar was rebuilt. The Middle Ages are represented chiefly by the relics of the Anglian and post-Conquest abbeys, but also by a reconstructed C13th iron furnace or bloomery from Goathland and artefacts from the medieval pottery kiln at Ruswarp Bank.

Flint Arrowhead	Bronze Age Weapons

Roman Lamps	Roman Glass

Roman Inscription from Ravenscar

Anglo-Saxon bronze brooch

Book mount of copper alloy gilded from Whitby Abbey	Page from the Abbot's book which is a record of Whitby Abbey begun in 1160 and continued until the early 16th century