Stoke-on-Trent Museum Archaeological Society (SOTMAS) was founded in 1959 and currently has almost sixty members, several of whom have given more than forty years’ service. The age range is spread from students to octogenarians with everyone able to contribute according to their interest, ability and skills. Our stated aim is “to promote and encourage archaeological research, especially the examination, recording and preservation of the antiquities of North Staffordshire. This aim is recorded in the Society's Constitution, a manuscript document containing the rules which govern the operations of the Society. You can find out more about the Society's Constitution here, where you can download a transcript of the full document.
The society has always been active in the field of practical archaeology. Though much of the earlier work concentrated on the excavation of various pottery sites within the city, adding extensively to knowledge of the formative industry and unearthing many fine pieces now on display in the city museum, it has undertaken excavations across the whole range of archaeological periods. These include a Bronze Age burnt mound, a major excavation at the Roman site at Tollgate Farm, and an important excavation at the Bronze Age burial site at King's Low and Queen's Low.
Currently the society is investigating an unidentified building in a field known as the "Chimney Field" in Hilderstone, Staffs. Records show that a building has stood on this site at least since the 18th century, though it is thought that it could date back to the 15th century. An 19th century tithe map refers to the building in the field as the Old Hall. The excavation aims to try and find out more about the origins, structure and use of the building, and was it indeed the Old Hall, when there is an 18th century Hall and medieval moated manor site within the near by fields?
You can find information about many of our past and present projects via "Fieldwork and Trips" in the menu.
After the disruption caused by the CoVID pandemic, the Society is looking to develop a fresh programme of events to take the Society forward, including lectures, tours, workshops, visits, and training. These events will run alongside the fieldwork (surveying, fieldwalking, excavating etc.) and post excavation work that the society undertakes. The latter being an excellent opportunity to get close to and handle some of the wonderful finds that we discover during our excavations. It is also a great opportunity of learning not just what the finds can tell us, but if you are interested in pottery for example, then it provides an opportunity to learn about pottery in a way that you cannot get from a book. This, and other projects, is supported by the society's comprehensive library, which is open to members.
The committee that manages the day to day details of the society is made up of five 'officials,' the Chair, Secretary, Treasurer, Site Director, Web Manager and upto four representatives of the general membership. The current membership of the committee can be found here.
The SoTMAS Squirrel Logo
The SoTMAS logo is designed after a personal seal matrix discovered by members of the society excavating at Hulton Abbey in 1975. The original seal dates from the 14th century, where a squirrel is represented in the centre and bears the legend "I CRAK NOTIS" which translates to "I crack nuts" around the circumference. The society reimagined the seal, retaining the squirrel and replacing the legend with SoTMAS, to produce the present logo. The original seal can be seen in the online galleries of the Potteries Museum and Art Gallery.