The ''Hunted Out'' Roman Field - Day 10 - Finished on a HIGH!!!

[CRUSADER]

All we really hoped for today was any Silver coin so that we had at least 1 Silver on every outing to this field & we did it, 10 for 10! But not just any coin this time...
Before we started I looked at the acres we had left to grid & I was sure it would take 2 days, instead we covered the whole lot in 5 hours 45 minutes. With finds from nearly every period, this field has been super kind to us, in what we would normally call the low season.

1 Roman Coin
17th C Button
19th C Military Button
Livery Button
Neolithic Flints (I picked up a lot of wasters & these 2 were the best of a bad bunch)
Late 17th C - early 18th C Buckle
4 x 17th C Leather Mounts (3 types I need)
Roman Fibula - 1st C AD
19th C Medicine Weight
Royal Farthing
Jetton
Folded over Hammered Halfpenny
Henry II 'Tealby' Penny circa 1160 - Only the 2nd complete example I have found (Its not clipped, its an irregular shaped flan)
1st C BC-1st C AD Iron Age (Celtic) Woad Grinder - Rare find, you can just imagine the last Druid to use after a ritual activity or to paint the warriors faces blue before the battles - Cool piece of history.

 

Amazon Forum Fav 👍

DR.ÖTEK Metal Detector, Waterproof Gold Detector, Pinpoint & Terrain Modes, Professional Metal Detector - Grab it through Amazon!

[Plumbata]

Super finds, so how many total woad pestles and mortars have you found? I need to buy a set for the collection but they tend to go for $$, though sometimes they go unrecognized and show up in job lots. On a related note, I'm growing woad for the first time this year so the wife can experiment dyeing with it, should be interesting.

Very nice penny btw, seems like the early ones are typically crude so that's normal, but it has a darn solid planchet and pretty good surfaces!

 

[CRUSADER]

Super finds, so how many total woad pestles and mortars have you found? I need to buy a set for the collection but they tend to go for $$, though sometimes they go unrecognized and show up in job lots. On a related note, I'm growing woad for the first time this year so the wife can experiment dyeing with it, should be interesting.

Very nice penny btw, seems like the early ones are typically crude so that's normal, but it has a darn solid planchet and pretty good surfaces!

From memory, in all the years Dad & I have done this we have only found 2 grinders & 1 base. So this is my 3 grinder but it's by far the best example, even though I have seen some pretty amazing ones compared to this 'basic' design.

 

[CRUSADER]

Super finds, so how many total woad pestles and mortars have you found? I need to buy a set for the collection but they tend to go for $$, though sometimes they go unrecognized and show up in job lots. On a related note, I'm growing woad for the first time this year so the wife can experiment dyeing with it, should be interesting.

Very nice penny btw, seems like the early ones are typically crude so that's normal, but it has a darn solid planchet and pretty good surfaces!

PS. I assume your not dyeing your faces, as to be authentic you should use Bull or Human Semen.

 

[Plumbata]

I assume your not dyeing your faces, as to be authentic you should use Bull or Human Seamen.

LOL no way man, we live in Wyoming, not San Francisco!

 

[dirtlooter]

Dude, everything you find is historic! But the way cool factor is off the charts on the grinder and what it was used for. love the flint pieces too.

 

[Johncoho]

Nice finds, Cru. I love those hammered.

 

[pa-dirt_nc-sand]

It would be like attack of the smurfs... Congrats on another hoard of relics and especially the hammered silver coins!

 

[washingtonian]

You gentlemen always amaze me. I'm jealous of your hunting grounds. Way to go on more kick@$$ finds!!

 

[Davers]

All we really hoped for today was any Silver coin so that we had at least 1 Silver on every outing to this field & we did it, 10 for 10! But not just any coin this time...
Before we started I looked at the acres we had left to grid & I was sure it would take 2 days, instead we covered the whole lot in 5 hours 45 minutes. With finds from nearly every period, this field has been super kind to us, in what we would normally call the low season.

1 Roman Coin
17th C Button
19th C Military Button
Livery Button
Neolithic Flints (I picked up a lot of wasters & these 2 were the best of a bad bunch)
Late 17th C - early 18th C Buckle
4 x 17th C Leather Mounts (3 types I need)
Roman Fibula - 1st C AD
19th C Medicine Weight
Royal Farthing
Jetton
Folded over Hammered Halfpenny
Henry II 'Tealby' Penny circa 1160 - Only the 2nd complete example I have found (Its not clipped, its an irregular shaped flan)
1st C BC-1st C AD Iron Age (Celtic) Woad Grinder - Rare find, you can just imagine the last Druid to use after a ritual activity or to paint the warriors faces blue before the battles - Cool piece of history.

Great finds as usual, 'no sarcasm' ; I love all your finds but don't like & comment as much as I should cause being able to hunt where y'all live is akin to me hunting on the Moon.

I have learned a few things about European history from your find since becoming a T-net member in 2012.
Davers

 

[CRUSADER]

Cheers everyone.

I'm not sure our last couple of known chances that we have left on the board (before harvest in Aug)will come to much, so this was a great end to what has turned out to be a great field. When we look back at the acres we gridded over 10 days, it's hard to believe. For years, we thought tackling an area that big would not have been an option.
This mega grid not only worked out but it saved many items from what will eventually become a housing estate.

 

[A2coins]

Absolutely amazing Thanks for sharing Ill tell you I would give up all my finds in all the years Ive been detecting for one of those coins those are just amazing. Well done my friend Tommy

 

[Subterranean]

Flints, mounts, coins, fibula, and a WOADIE! What a killer hunt, congrats! Sub

 

[Digger RJ]

Very Nice!!! Congrats!!!

 

[Gridwalker306]

Good work Cru. The woad grinder is very interesting, first I’ve seen.

 

[Reanm8er]

Always amazing Crusader, and a great read as well!

Woad grinder, wow, but I'll pass on the dye job!

LMAO Plumbata!

 

[Whyme]

PS. I assume your not dyeing your faces, as to be authentic you should use Bull or Human Seamen.

Wow 1160! Just awesome stuff!

Ummm grinding up Seamen is against the law! Murder! lol. I'm sure you mean semen lol. Just exactly what is the process of making this dye? And why?

 

[Argentium]

Well I too had never seen/ heard of a woad grinder - Nice grab on the Tealby penny ! Great hunting for sure .

 

[CRUSADER]

Wow 1160! Just awesome stuff!

Ummm grinding up Seamen is against the law! Murder! lol. I'm sure you mean semen lol. Just exactly what is the process of making this dye? And why?

Yeap, edited.
It's mostly theory as far as I'm aware there have been no strong scientific evidence that it was Woad that produced the blue pigment, so its best guess. They are thought to have ground down the woad leaves & used semen as a kind of applicator. There is a strong connection with 'Bulls' as the ancient cult of mithras came across in the Iron Age to Britain & many of the Woad Grinder bases have the heads of bulls. It's hard to get into their 'minds' when they wrote nothing down & all we have is what the Roman wrote. So tough one to answer. Theories are;
Ritual activities
Before they went into battle (they were described by the Romans as 'painted blue')
Cultural identity, a little like tattooing.

They are referred to as 'Woad Grinders', but maybe a better term in cosmetic grinder. This then starts to imply make-up which is really not doing it justice, as they would have seen it as somewhat magical or significant.

 

[Squirrel322]

Another AMAZING haul! Well done Sir