The Havering Hoard – a gift to the gods or a forgotten metal worker’s store?
An online talk by Kate Sumnall, 6.30pm, 20 July 2021
Free tickets available at Ticketsource
Kate Sumnall with finds from the Havering Hoard
The Havering Hoard is the largest ever Bronze Age hoard to be discovered in London and can be seen in an exhibition at the Museum of London Docklands until 22 August 2021. The Hoard comprises 453 objects from between 900BC and 800BC, including a huge number of axes, and weapons such as spearheads, sword fragments, daggers and knives, besides other unusual objects less often found in the UK.
The curator of the exhibition, Kate Sumnall, has delved into the Museum of London’s collections and has also selected thirteen fantastic artefacts from Thomas Layton’s collection (including some from Brentford and Chiswick) to help place the Hoard into the context of wider activity along the London stretch of the Thames Valley in the Bronze Age. The exhibition offers new insights into the people who lived and worked near the river.
The Thomas Layton Trust has invited Kate Sumnall to share these remarkable discoveries. Why were these valuable items buried? Kate will explore the people, their craft-skills and their connections with the continent, and offer tantalising glimpses into their beliefs and values.
Kate Sumnall has been the Curator of Archaeology at the Museum of London since 2017. She has previously curated the popular exhibition Secret Rivers in 2019 and Trauma about Roman gladiators in 2018. Prior to this she was the Finds Liaison Officer for Greater London, part of the national Portable Antiquities Scheme. As well as working closely with members of the public to record and research archaeological finds, Kate has also organised several community digs across London.
