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A tour around the museums of Sussex: Celebrate International Museum Day with ASE!

20 May 2024

For International Museums Day, we took you on a digital tour around some of the museums of Sussex, showcasing the finds excavated by ASE that are currently on display. Follow along here, or use the #ASEspotted hashtag on our social media...

A digital image reading ‘International Museum Day’ and ‘#ASEspotted’. The background is blue, and around the text is a range of artefacts featured in the article, and the IMD official logo – various coloured capital ‘M’s overlapping.

On Saturday 18th May for International Museums Day, we did a little bit of ASE “in-the-wild” photography on our Facebook, X/Twitter, and Instagram to celebrate the value of museums. Throughout the day, we spotted artefacts found by ASE in museum displays around Sussex. Here is what we found…

Horsham Museum – bone ‘pin factory’

Our first #ASEspotted came from Horsham Museum. Deposited in 2014, these animal bones are more than what they seem, and are actually part of a 15th/16th century ‘pin factory’. They’re involved in the production of copper pins (these are likely responsible for the green staining)

Three photos of Horsham Museum's 'pin factory' are shown side by side: two photos of the copper-stained bones, and one of an information panel. Due to alt-text character count restrictions, please contact ASE@UCL.ac.uk for full text.

Heritage Eastbourne – Rock crystal whorl

Our second #ASEspotted shows the this beautiful rock crystal whorl on display at Heritage Eastbourne. Dating from 450-575BCE, this crystal was buried with an elderly woman, and refracts light fantastically due to its transparency.

Two photos of Heritage Eastbourne’s rock crystal whorl are shown side by side: The first shows the whorl mounted onto a replica spindle. The second shows an information panel. Due to alt-text character count restrictions, please contact ASE@UCL.ac.uk for

Heritage Eastbourne – Brooches and beads

While you’re at Heritage Eastbourne, why not visit our third #ASEspotted?! These colourful glass beads and brooches come from the same Saxon cemetery as the crystal whorl. As well as visiting the museum to learn more, you can read our free open access book on the excavation, the artefacts, and skeletal remains recovered.

two photos show the beads and brooches excavated by ASE, displayed at Heritage Eastbourne. The beads are photographed close up – they are colourful an different shapes. The brooches are gold gilded and inset are pearls and garnets. Spotlights illuminate t

Worthing Museum – Papal Bulla

Our fourth #ASEspotted is thanks to Worthing Museum. This papal bulla was excavated in St Nicholas’ Church in Angmering in 1974. At first glance it may look like a coin, but it is actually a seal for a document issued by the Pope, to prove authenticity and that the document hasn’t been opened. This one depicts St Peter and St Paul on one face (pictured), and Pope Boniface on the other. This suggests it was used between 1389 and 1404.
This papal bulla was actually excavated by our former selves, the Sussex Archaeological Field Unit! If you’ve been following our #ASEat50 birthday celebrations, then you’ll know we changed our name in the 90s from the SAFU to what we are today. Find out more about ASE’s 50th anniversary.

A small piece of circular metal sits on red fabric. The metal is stamped with two faces looking towards each other – both have facial hair, and a prominent nose. Around each face and the circumference of the coin are dots, and between the two faces is a s

Brighton museum – Early Bronze Age Urn

Our fifth and final #ASEspotted comes from Brighton Museums. These four pottery sherds – excavated from Hangleton, West Sussex in 1976 - make up an early Bronze Age collared urn. This is on display in the Local History Gallery at Hove Museum of Creativity, and more can be found out in the Sussex Archaeological Collections, volume 117 (1979, page 248). 

: Four main fragments of a beige ceramic vessel are pieced together. The fragments have some simplistic decoration using grooves and line indentations. The vessel is still incomplete

We hope you enjoyed this Sussex museum tour! Follow us on Facebook, X/Twitter, and Instagram for more live content.
This is just a snapshot of ASE finds on display across the south-east, so keep an eye out for them in your area, and remember to visit your local museum!

For more information on International Museums Day, visit https://icom.museum/en/international-museum-day-2/