Donation to the Staffordshire Hoard Fund
Stoke-on-Trent Museum Archaeological Society has made a donation to the Fund which has been established to keep the Staffordshire Hoard in the Midlands, where it belongs. We have donated £1,200 towards the £3.3m needed to secure the hoard.
Staffordshire Hoard saved for the nation
23rd March 2010.
SOTMAS 50th Anniversary Display in the Potteries Museum
SOTMAS celebrated its 50th anniversary in 2009 and, as part of our celebrations, we have mounted a display of items from two of our most recent digs, Tollgate Farm (Romano-British) and Clayhanger Street (early Burslem pottery).

This exhibition may be found at the entrance to the archaeology gallery in the Potteries Museum and Art Gallery, Stoke-on-Trent. The finds and illustrations give a glimpse into the history and heritage of our area and is well worth a visit. Note also that SOTMAS has been responsible for filling many of the other cases in the archaeology gallery: (see the small logo stickers on the glass).
23rd February 2010.
Spring 2010 Lecture Programme Now Available
Our lecture programme for spring 2010 is now available.
Meetings to be held at 7.30 p.m. in the New Learning Suite, entrance at the side of the Potteries Museum, off Warner Street. Members Free. Non-members £2
Happy New Year!
5th January 2010.
Update from Tollgate Farm 14.10.09
Apologies for the delay in updating the site. In the photos below, you can see the progress of the dig over several weeks, including a few of the more special finds. In the middle top row is the silver ring as it emerged from the pit and the pic to its left shows the level at which it was found.The flagon photos are fairly self-explanatory. The photos in the lower half of the page show the depth of the pit to date and the beautiful, smooth clay sides which line it. The bottom pics of the pit are showing large pieces of wood which may once have been part of the lining, or may have fallen in before the pit was backfilled. Keith Ryan has reconstructed the large pot which Maureen is holding. The pieces were found near to the top of the pit. Of particular interest is the scorch marks showing where it would once have been in the ashes of a fire. In the centre on the row next to bottom is a large piece of 'tazza', again found in the pit. To its right is a chunk of bone showing cut marks. (Note that the two intersecting clay baulks in the photos are modern field drains.)
ANNOUNCEMENT
The lecture on Friday 23rd October will be "Mellor: a History of the Dig", by Donald Reid.
14th October 2009

Website designed by Alex Carnes, Jan 2006. Updated 23.02.10. SOTMAS site URL list