Cosmetic Article Arm ring ‘Ligula’ cosmetic spoon Bow brooch Tweezers Brooch Key Handle Pin c Oyster shell Comb LSM16 Coin TSA6 Coin TSA13 Spoon a Statue Part of a hoard of objects found at Weekley Hall Woods Believed to be the property of one person

2. In 1951, archaeologists found a buried hoard of ancient goods at Weekley Hall Woods near Kettering. After carefully excavating the objects, they cleaned them, gave each an identification number, and put them in the Manor House Museum in Kettering. All these objects have been photographed and can now be seen on the Roots database ( Some of these objects were found close together, and it is thought that many of them may have belonged to one person. Archaeologists have to ask questions like: Who was this person? When did they live? What were they like? What did they do? What interested them? How can they build up a picture of someone from so long ago? Can YOU help? To try and solve this mystery you have to work like a detective. 1. You have to look at the clues 2. You have to find out as much as you can about them 3. You have to look up what we already know about the period 4. You have to consider which clues are useful to your investigation 5. You have to see how the different clues fit together 6. You have to use them to try and solve the mystery Let’s do this in stages. 1. Looking at the clues Look at the sheet called ‘Mystery Hoard’, and study the pictures carefully. Each picture has a title and an identification number. Some have little rulers so that you can see how big the object is. Can you say anything about the mystery person yet? Mystery Hoard found at Weekley Hall Woods! Time Detectives

. 2. Finding out about the clues You can probably only make vague guesses, so you need to do some further research. The easiest way to start this off is to: - log on to the Roots database ( - click on ‘Continue into Roots’ (near the feet!). - click on ‘Researchers Search’. - scroll down on the Search box and click on ‘Object number’ (and press ‘Select’). - scroll down until you find the number of the object you want, click on it and press ‘Select’. - Click on the picture and a larger picture will come up, together with some details. You need to study both as they may have valuable information about the mystery person. Record anything useful on the ‘Important Details’ sheet. 3. Further research The database will give you some information, but perhaps not as much as you want. However, you should now have a clearer idea of when this person was alive, so you could look in books, or on the internet, to find out more about how people lived at this time, and what they did, what they wore, etc. Compare this with the information you have found, and you should start to get a fuller picture of what this mystery person might have been like. Fill in the table with your findings: Book title/ What it told me about people at the time Web address Object Reasons for not using it 4. Usefulness of objects Some of the objects might be confusing, as they might come from a different time than the others. They might not all have belonged to the same person. This is a typical problem that historians and archaeologists face. You may want to put aside any object that doesn’t seem to fit, but you must have a good reason for doing so. Fill in the table below:

Cosmetic Article Arm ring ‘Ligula’ cosmetic spoon Bow brooch Tweezers Brooch Key Handle Pin c Oyster shell Comb LSM16 Coin TSA6 Coin TSA13 Spoon a Statue ItemImportant Details

. 5. Fitting the clues together Often it helps to group the objects together. Some might be to do with food, others with jobs, or war. Try making groups out of your objects. Group 1 Group 2 Group 3 Group 4 Name: Objects: 6. Solving the mystery So what can we say now about this mystery person? Try filling in the table below with your ideas: Question What I think Why I think this (evidence) When they lived? Male/female? Child/adult? Job? Rich/poor? How they dressed? What they ate? Interests? Anything else? Don’t worry if you can’t answer all of these. At least you should now have a better idea about this person, and have partly solved the mystery of Who owned the hoard Well done

Mystery Hoard – Teachers notes This is an exercise aimed at Year 5 and above and can be linked to a study of the Romans. It uses the Kettering Museum’s Roots database The resources comprise: A ‘Time Detectives’ activity pack (3 sheets) An ‘Important Details’ sheet A picture sheet of the objects You will also need: Internet-linked computers (10+) Books/information sheets on Roman social life Aim To show children how archaeologists and historians build up a theory by using object remains and secondary evidence. It combines the historical skills of: Knowledge and understanding Interpretation Enquiry Communication With the IT skills of Finding things out Developing and sharing information And with essential Literacy skills Timings It will require a 2-hour session to do this properly, though short cuts can be taken Suggested Format Pupils in groups of 3-5 Introduction (Children start without any sheets, just listening) Teacher reads out first paragraph of Time Detectives sheet, and then hands out the object picture sheet to each group. 1. Looking at the clues (10 mins) - Teacher asks ‘Can you guess 3 things about the person who owned these objects?’ - Groups look and discuss 3 things - Feedback - Teacher asks ‘What sort of things do we need to know about this person?’ - Teacher writes answers on board. -Teacher can now give out sheets 1 and 2 and pupils fill in their ideas for Qu1 2. Finding out about the clues (30 mins – 1 hour) - Teacher hands out Important Details sheet – 1 per group (to encourage groupwork)

- Teacher explains how to access the elements of the program by going through instructions on sheet. Bring up one of the items and then discuss with class what information needs to be recorded. -Pupils record information on sheet 3. Further research (30 mins – 1 hour) - Teacher discusses with pupils what we know so far about the person (use introductory questions on sheet 1, so that children have to think and make deductions about what they have found from the computer). - Teacher asks ‘How are we going to find out more?’ - Oral answers - Teacher suggests looking in books and on web and explains how to fill in table. - Groups then do research. -Feedback If required, each group could be split into 2 parts, one doing section 2, the other doing section 3, working concurrently. This would help if time, or resources, is short. 4. Usefulness (10 mins) This could be done as a teacher-led activity, with the class filling in the table together. The point is that they learn to select relevant objects/information, and to discard irrelevant ones. (Only the items with the 1951 prefix belong together). 5. Fitting the clues together (10-15 mins) - Teacher can lead by asking children to suggest groups. - Groups can then discuss what object groups they want, and which objects should go in them. -Feedback 6. Solving the mystery (15-20 mins) - Teacher can explain how to fill in table (in right hand column they should mention the evidence (objects or reading) that lead them to their conclusion). -Groups fill in table Follow up Children can use their knowledge to write a short newspaper article under the headline ‘Mystery Hoard found at Weekley Woods’ in which they explain who the owner of the hoard may have been. They could do an oral news report on the find They can use their knowledge to dress the Roman Woman (see other exercise). They can write a fashion and beauty column for a Roman newspaper They can write labels for a museum showcase holding these objects, as well as an information panel They can take one item, describe it/draw it, and say why they like it They can write a day in the life of one of these objects They can write a story explaining the circumstances in which these objects may have been lost/buried in Roman times They can make an advertising leaflet for a museum exhibition of these objects