Lightnews — Scholar-powered news

The Society of Antiquaries of London @antiquaries.bsky.social · 22h

This rather friendly looking skelton is a drawing by Rev Stephen Isaacson. It's from of a group of 10 items relating to finds at Dymchurch, 28 May 1844. Finds of all periods were made, but it appears no contexts were recorded. The skeletons were undated, although much Roman pottery was recorded.

6 20

The Society of Antiquaries of London @antiquaries.bsky.social · 1d

With our Past Matters events, you can redeem your ticket for an exclusive 20% discount for Afternoon Tea at the elegant 5-Star St. James’s Hotel & Club in Mayfair! Find out more at the following link: www.sal.org.uk/support-us/p...

Past Matters - Society of Antiquaries of London

www.sal.org.uk

3

The Society of Antiquaries of London @antiquaries.bsky.social · 1d

Catch up on our lecture from today, all about medievial uni students from @amwillemsen.bsky.social. www.youtube.com/watch?v=FJ0D...

Back in college: Daily life of students at European universities, 1200-1600 by Dr A. Willemsen FSA

YouTube video by SocAntiquaries

www.youtube.com

4 5

The Society of Antiquaries of London @antiquaries.bsky.social · 1d

Sue Heaser is an author, illustrator & teacher with a lifelong interest in the jewellery arts.

Sarah Le Breton is willow weaver & basket-maker.

Discover their craft along with other skilled craftspeople in our conference 'Modern Makers & Antiquaries' on 22 October!

www.sal.org.uk/event/modern...

1 10

The Society of Antiquaries of London @antiquaries.bsky.social · 2d

If you're in London tomorrow, come and enjoy a lucntime lecture from @amwillemsen.bsky.social on what was it like to be a student in the Middle Ages or the Renaissance. www.sal.org.uk/event/back-i...

Back in College: Daily Life of Students at European Universities, 1200-1600 - Society of Antiquaries of London

What was it like to be a student in the Middle Ages or the Renaissance? The university is a great medieval invention, and Oxford and Cambridge were among the first. Multidisciplinary research into the...

www.sal.org.uk

12

The Society of Antiquaries of London @antiquaries.bsky.social · 3d

Sarah Davis is a multi-media artist exploring themes relating to the cyclical nature of recovery & renewal. She uses traditional making techniques with a historical resonance, like wood carving, miniature painting & illumination. See her at Modern Makers & Antiquaries. www.sal.org.uk/event/modern...

2 11

The Society of Antiquaries of London @antiquaries.bsky.social · 5d

It’s thought that the bottles were favoured for counter-magic purposes because of their human like depiction of the ‘the wild man’, a mythical forest figure that first emerged in medieval Europe and who is still recognised and celebrated today.

4

The Society of Antiquaries of London @antiquaries.bsky.social · 5d

It was hoped the witch’s bottle would protect the owner from evil spirits/harmful magic – with written sources variously suggesting that the bottle had the power to: deflect a curse; reverse a curse; trap evil spirits in the bottle; pierce the spirit with needles/nails or drown it in blood & urine.

1 3

The Society of Antiquaries of London @antiquaries.bsky.social · 5d

These and various other items would be sealed into the jar with cork and wax before the vessel was buried or concealed -with examples being found on riverbanks, in churchyards, sealed within chimneys and secreted beneath the floorboards of family homes.

1 3

The Society of Antiquaries of London @antiquaries.bsky.social · 5d

As a defence against witchcraft, the bellarmine jars would be filled with rusty nails, needles, blood, and urine, thorns, nail clippings, fragment of cloth, and strands of human hair.

1 3

The Society of Antiquaries of London @antiquaries.bsky.social · 5d

During the previous century, witch hunts/trials had been increasing, reaching their peak in the late 16thC & the fear and suspicion that such persecution had provoked can be seen in the emergence of these witch’s bottles – just one of many solutions for countering this invisible (& imagined) evil.

1 3

The Society of Antiquaries of London @antiquaries.bsky.social · 5d

Produced in Frechen between the 16th-18th centuries, these distinctive bottle-like jars were widely exported to be used as storage and drinking vessels for oils, vinegars, beer, and wine. But during the 17th century, these bulbous-bellied vessels found another use as witch’s bottles.

1 1 3

The Society of Antiquaries of London @antiquaries.bsky.social · 5d

Now we're in #spookyseason it's time to take a look at some of the mystic, ghoulish, magic and supernatural items in our collections.

Here we have some German stoneware vessels known as a Bellarmine or Bartmann (bearded man) jars.

Grey glazed bellarmine jar. There is a face of a bearded man decorating the neck. On the body there is an oval badge depicting a flower-like design of eight arms radiating from a central boss. There is a triangular ridge extending from the handle where it joins the body of the jar. There are ridges running around the neck below the rim.

Brown glazed bellarmine jar with the handle and part of the neck missing. There is a face of a bearded man decorating the neck. On the body there is an oval badge depicting a vase surmounted by a stylised crown. There is a triangular ridge where the handle joined the body of the jar.

Brown glazed bellarmine jar with the handle and part of the neck missing. There is a well defined face of a bearded man decorating the neck. On the body there are the remains of an applied oval badge depicting a stylised coat of arms. There is a triangular ridge where the handle joined the body of the jar.

1 5 28

Reposted by The Society of Antiquaries of London

Tamsin Lewis @passamezzo.bsky.social · 5d

2 #songs from the #Greensleeves conference at @antiquaries.bsky.social in July:
#Marlowe: The Passionate Shepherd to his Love
#Raleigh: The Nymph’s Reply
Emily Atkinson: soprano
@callumcoates.bsky.social : actor
Robin Jeffrey: #lute
Lynda Sayce: flute.
www.youtube.com/watch?v=FJsA...
#earlymusic

Christopher Marlowe: Come live with me and be my love; Walter Raleigh: The Nymph's Reply.

YouTube video by Passamezzo

www.youtube.com

1 9

The Society of Antiquaries of London @antiquaries.bsky.social · 5d

Victoria Ajoku is a maker, teacher of fans, the UK Ambassador for Fan Making & founder of Fan The Glory W/ Tori. She works passionately to revive & diversify the concept of the craft of fan making. Hear from her on Oct 22 in our conference Modern Makers & Antiquaries www.sal.org.uk/event/modern...

Photo of Victoria Ajoku, fan-maker and performer

1 2 17

The Society of Antiquaries of London @antiquaries.bsky.social · 5d

On 28 Oct join Tim Knox, Director of the Royal Collection, for an exploration of royal taste & patronage from Edward VII - Queen Elizabeth II. You also get a 20% discount for Afternoon Tea at the 5-Star St James’s Hotel & Club in Mayfair with your ticket purchase! www.sal.org.uk/event/royal-...

Richard Jack, Queen Mary’s Chinese Room, Buckingham Palace © Royal Collection Enterprises Limited 2025 | Royal Collection Trust

1 5

The Society of Antiquaries of London @antiquaries.bsky.social · 7d

Many fragmented containers of this kind have been found in Britain also.

2

The Society of Antiquaries of London @antiquaries.bsky.social · 7d

Because of this, vast quantities of Dressel 20 fragments have been found throughout the Roman Empire, with the Monte Testaccio site in Rome (a large mound that turned out to be the site of a Roman rubbish dump) containing fragments of around 53 million amphora, many of which were Dressel 20 type.

1 2

The Society of Antiquaries of London @antiquaries.bsky.social · 7d

Due to their size and the porous nature of the composition used to make these vessels, they could only be used once and would be disposed of once empty.

1 2

The Society of Antiquaries of London @antiquaries.bsky.social · 7d

Manufactured in Spain from the later 1st century AD until the 3rd century AD, Dressel 20’s were transport vessels used to export large quantities of olive oil throughout the Roman Empire. This type of vessel would contain between 40-80 litres of olive oil.

1 2

The Society of Antiquaries of London @antiquaries.bsky.social · 7d

This large globular shaped Roman amphora is known in archaeological terms as a ‘Dressel 20’. A Dressel 20 vessel is a very large, rounded vessel with two handles and a thick, rounded, or angular rim.

Large globular-shaped Roman amphora of Dressel 20 type. Likely manufactured in Spain from the later 1st century AD to the 3rd century AD, and used to export olive oil. Urn contents, potentially containing human remains, is housed separately.

1 4 17

The Society of Antiquaries of London @antiquaries.bsky.social · 7d

Ever wondered what students at medieval universitites got up to? Wonder no more and learn all about this from @amwillemsen.bsky.social next Tuesday at 1pm for a free lunchtime lecture! www.sal.org.uk/event/back-i...

4 17

The Society of Antiquaries of London @antiquaries.bsky.social · 7d

Join us for our first lunchtime lecture of the season and hear all about early modern caskets and cabinets from @isabellarosner.bsky.social! Register your free place for this Friday at 1pm: www.sal.org.uk/event/embroi...

1 5 25

Reposted by The Society of Antiquaries of London

Durotriges Dig @durotrigesdig.bsky.social · 10d

In 1971, a late 4th century AD mosaic was found at #Halstock in #Dorset

This painting, by Stephen Cosh, was made for the @antiquaries.bsky.social (Roman mosaics of Britain vol II 2005)

The original was reburied and sadly can no longer be seen

A lost little masterpiece for #MosaicMonday

Painting of a geometric polychrome Roman mosaic with floral design within a central roundel

2 23 120

The Society of Antiquaries of London @antiquaries.bsky.social · 13d

The first image shows the printing block itself, and the second is the printed version.

You can help us catalogue and digitise these printing blocks by adopting one! sal.org.uk/what-we-d...

1 3