Archaeologists find 2,000-year-old war trumpet that may have belonged to Queen Boudica
This newly discovered Iron Age instrument may have been played in the Celtic resistance against the Roman Empire
© Norfolk Museums Service
It was believed to be a routine excavation. But archaeologists who were called in last year to inspect a site before construction began on a residential estate in West Norfolk, England, made a truly remarkable discovery: a nearly 2,000-year-old war trumpet.
The Iron Age tool, known as a carnexa, may once have been used by Celtic tribes in warfare against the encroaching Roman Empire – and perhaps even by the forces of warrior queen Boudica.
Boudica led the Iceni tribe, which once occupied parts of present-day Norfolk and is most famous for leading an ultimately unsuccessful battle against the Romans around 60 or 61 AD. Archaeologists have considered the age of the trumpet to be the same as that of the queen.
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The carnyx is one of only three of its kind from Britain and “one of the most complete found in Europe.” according to A statement from Historic England. It was found with a collection of other metal objects, including five shield bosses and a bronze boar’s head, which was probably used as a military standard.
© Norfolk Museums Service
“I’ve been doing archeology for over 40 years, and I’ve never seen anything like this,” said Mark Hinman, CEO of Pre-Construct Archaeology, which originally found the objects. till GuardianHe described the discovery as a “once in a lifetime” discovery,
“We’re completely in the center of the Iceni – whether they were the ones who buried the pile or not, we just don’t know,” Hinman said. Nevertheless, the artifacts are “of such quality” that “any significant number of people from the Iceni and other groups would have known these objects.”
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