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Home , 700s (decade), History of London

A history of through objects By year 7 students from School 21 A through objects

This guide is designed to inspire teachers to create object-based learning opportunities when visiting the Museum of London with their class. Students from School 21 in Stratford researched, wrote and compiled information about objects they found interesting at the museum. Curriculum links for key stage 3 History • the development of Church, state and society in Medieval Britain, 1066–1509 • the development of Church, state and society in Britain, 1509–1745. Curriculum links for key stage 3 Roman London • Cambridge Latin course, stages 13 and 14: . Suggested activities Objects as a source material Use this resource as an introduction to different types of source materials and bias. The objects themselves are primary sources as they are from London’s past, but the descriptions were created by students and have a strong bias to them. Are your students able to recognise and discuss the differences between these two types of sources? Can they list the advantages and disadvantages of each? Consider for example the Roman horse skeleton. We are able to tell the condition the horse died in from the skeleton but can we ever know what the horse’s life was really like? Introduction to London’s history London’s history can be used as a case study for almost any period. The students of School 21 chose their favourite objects from our ROMAN , MEDIEVAL and WAR, PLAGUE AND FIRE galleries. You could use our objects as short introductions to different thematic topics, such as: • use the Roman London to explore the themes of Romanisation, the power of or importing to • use the saucer brooch as a comparative to the medieval brooch. Discuss the role of women in the early medieval • consider what a chainmail shirt can tell us about the role of men, wealth or how the city was protected.

A history of London through objects KS3 resource A history of London through objects

Choose your own object You could replicate this model of investigation as a starter for your History classroom. Choose a mystery object – either have one in class or show it on the whiteboard, and ask your students to focus on the following questions to figure out what the object is. • What material is it made of? • Is it complete or broken? • Is it decorated? • How might it have been used? • Do we use anything similar to it today? You could use this method of questioning with the image of the plague bell below as an introduction to the Great Plague of 1665–1666. Using this resource in the museum galleries We hope this resource inspires your History students to complete a similar project. It will be suitable for any historic London time period you are studying. Split your class into pairs and ask them to find their favourite objects in your gallery of choice. Once each pair has chosen, focus them on the task by asking them to record: • the object name and time period • what the object looks like • who might have owned the object • what the object tells us about the time period it belongs to • a sketch of the object in use. By focusing on one object in depth your students will analyse source materials, become object experts and share their findings in front of the class! Or you could produce a booklet like this. If you do, make sure you send it to us!

A history of London through objects KS3 resource Roman helmet, AD 43 Description by Samson

What does the object look like? This is a Roman helmet it is made out of copper and it is rested on a metal stand. It is very rusty and old. There is also a little shield attached to it which is covering the soldier’s face and there is a little point attached to the top with a little hole in it to hang up the Roman helmet. I can see a semi circle protecting the top and a piece on the side that looks like a puzzle. I think this helmet was golden, it has a orangish rusty colour with a little grey. What does the object tell me about who might have owned it? This tells me that during invasions and wars Romans used special helmets that as well as protecting their head it also protected their face. As a soldier war was like fighting for and protecting their country/city. What can this object tell me about London at this time? This object tells me that they were used to going to war and fighting because they made these helmets and armour. They needed armour to conquer Britain in AD 43. The wars at this time were particularly vicious, soldiers fought with spears, swords, and bows and arrows. Making war a very dangerous thing to be in. Blacksmiths during the Roman times were extremely knowledgeable about making armour which was able to protect soldiers in battle.

A history of London through objects KS3 resource Roman coins, AD 155–156 Description by Drilon, Edison and Shelvon

What does the object look like? I can see a dent in the coins. It has so many curved edges and black lines in the face. The shape of the coins are all scratched and it has different size faces. The face has a detailed beard and a carefully carved hair and a round head band with leaves sticking out. The colour is red and gold with bumps in them. It also is brown which is copper. What does the object tell me about who might have owned it? This tells me that the Romans used coins to and pay for food if they did not have a farm to make food on. You had to be lucky to find one on the streets or have someone to give you some coins if you were poor. Although some people were rich having a was a huge privilege because a coin had a huge amount of value on the market. It was extremely important because you needed coins to buy food/crops, houses, land, transport and pay the wages of their house and ship if they had one. What can this object tell me about London at this time? All of this information is gathered up to a couple of veritable facts. That in the Roman society there was trading which was very useful. There were rich people and poor people in the Roman times. This means being poor would be risky. Did you know? Antoninus Pius was adopted by Hadrian to be the next strictest most cruellest Emperor of all time and he took more from the poor than he did from the rich. Most of the poor people died because they had no money or food to feed their children and themselves.

A history of London through objects KS3 resource Roman horse skeleton, 2nd century Description by Enid and Adham

What does the object look like? This object is a mostly complete skeleton of a horse that dates back to Roman times. It would have been the size of a pony or a small horse. Due to its considerable age (nearly 2000 years old), the bones have varying amounts of discolouration. The skeleton is not complete; it is missing part of one leg and its hooves. Its neck also has missing sections compared to other animals. What does the object tell me about who might have owned it? From looking at the skeleton it is apparent that the person who owned it didn’t treat this horse very well since its spinal vertebrae were fused together. The owner could have been a travelling merchant who used the horse to carry heavy loads all the time or the owner could have been a soldier who carried all his heavy war gear with him. The owner must have been very wealthy because it was rare to own your own horse. Cavalry men in Roman times were required to pay for their own equipment and horse. What can this object tell me about London at this time? Horses can carry quite heavy goods on their back but some people may have been cruel and put too much on them. The horses were the main mode of transport because horses were found to be able to carry tons and that made people think that it would be a good idea for horses to pull carts. Soldiers used them for travel to war grounds and merchants used them to carry around their items as well as selling them.

A history of London through objects KS3 resource Saucer brooch, c. AD 500s Description by Courtney and Tegan

What does the object look like? This object is a saucer brooch which was made in the c. 500s by Anglo-Saxons. It is made out of bronze and gilded with gold. Brooches like this come in many intriguing designs such as stars and spirals. It has ridged edges which has rusted away because it is very old. It was found in the graves that belonged to the Anglo-Saxons in Mitcham, . Each brooch has its own name according to its design. It’s about the size of a 50p coin. Saucer brooches are named because of their circular appearance. The back of the saucer brooches had pins to fasten them onto clothing. What does the object tell me about who might have owned it? Only rich people could afford brooches with gold on them. It was worn to pin together their clothes and to express themselves because each brooch has a different meaning. These saucer brooches were very unique because each brooch was different. What can this object tell me about London at this time? This object can tell us about the Anglo-Saxon period and life there long ago. It shows us what people wore and what people were wearing when they were buried.

A history of London through objects KS3 resource Anglo-Saxon pot, 6th century Description by Mehnaz and Amy

What does the object look like? This object is handmade pottery and was found in an Anglo-Saxon grave. Handmade pottery was for use in the home, but was also buried with the dead. The size of the pot is around 30cm, it is terracotta in colour. The pot had a rounded shape at the bottom and a flared opening at the top. There are cracks on it due to its age. What does the object tell me about who might have owned it? Pottery was used to make all kinds of useful household items like bowls, pots, cups, lamps, bottles and jugs. It was also used for loom-weighting, crucibles and moulds. As cooking and textile making was usually completed by women in Anglo-Saxon times, the object may have belonged to a female. It is hard to tell if the owner was richer or poorer in their community. What can this object tell me about London at this time? This pot was made in the 700s. Sometimes pottery was found in Anglo-Saxon graves. Anglo-Saxon men and women were usually buried in their best clothes with items they might need in the afterlife.

A history of London through objects KS3 resource Medieval brooch, mid- Description by Saray and Alex

What does the object look like? The object is a small, circular brooch from the 7th century in the medieval times. The beautiful brooch from the Saxon town of Lundenwic was discovered in an excavation in of a woman’s grave. The main colour on the brooch is gold and it appears to be decorated with polished garnets. Arranged like a mosaic, the outside border is red. In the middle there is a circle from which there are four points, coming out which makes it look like a star. The brooch is made from copper decorated with gold plates and gold wire. What does the object tell me about who might have owned it? The brooch certainly belonged to a woman who was buried with it, indicating she was very wealthy. With the brooch, some silver rings and some glass beads were found. These items were in a bag around probably her neck when she was buried. They used the object to show they were very rich. The brooch indicates that its owner was very wealthy and had a high status in society as she was buried with these precious items. What can this object tell me about London at this time? This beautiful brooch shows that in the medieval times there was a system where poor people could not afford to buy the same things as rich people.

A history of London through objects KS3 resource Chainmail shirt, 14th century Description by Aayan and Gabrielus

What does the object look like? This object is a chainmail shirt. The shirt is formed from a rectangular piece in the middle, with attached sleeves at the sides. The bottom of the shirt and both sleeves are no longer in perfect condition; some of the chain mail links are missing, giving an uneven, jagged appearance. There is a slit at the bottom which makes it easier to move when wearing it. Sections of the shirt are rusted and there are orange and green parts where the metal has oxidised inside the small rings. Chainmail was the main type of armour worn in battle from the Iron Age to the 1200s. It was normally riveted, meaning each ring end was flattened and linked by a rivet. It is made out of iron. An alternative name for the shirt is a ‘habergeon’ and would have been very heavy to wear. One sleeve is longer than the other. What does the object tell me about who might have owned it? The owner of this mail shirt was most likely a soldier that fought in battles. The owner would have almost certainly been male as only men were soldiers and the shirt has been made to fit a man’s physique. Chainmail was expensive and time consuming to make, so most foot-soldiers were only equipped with just a padded leather jacket. This indicates that the owner of the shirt was of higher status or was a more talented warrior. What can this object tell me about London at this time? The mail shirt is an artefact of warfare at the time. It shows us that people in London were involved with fighting in battles. Plate armour began to be worn over the chainmail, and had replaced it completely by the early 1400s.

A history of London through objects KS3 resource Plague bell, 17th century Description by Josh, Jonathan and Chay

What does the object look like? This object is a plague bell. The handle is made of wood and the bottom of the bell is made of thick metal. The handle is well worn with lots of chips and marks. The metal part of the bell is modelled from a hollow cylinder which is bridged by another piece of metal. A hole is punched through this and from this hangs the clapper that allows the bell to ring. What does the object tell me about who might have owned it? During the time of the plague, lots of rules were in place in aim of stopping the plague from spreading. These included a cross on houses with the plague and carrying a white stick to warn other people that someone in your household was sick with the plague. When a burial took place, the bell would ring for 45 minutes to remind people to follow the rules. The people were encouraged to follow the rules because no one knew how to cure the terrible disease. What can this object tell me about London at this time? After the , the plague returned to London many times until the last major outbreak of 1665–66. The disease spread across . People were scared of the plague because the victims died quickly. About 40,000 people died of the Black Death of 1348–50. Doctors and was not as advanced so lots of people used cures that didn’t work and had superstitions they followed to try to save themselves. It was a very frightening time for the people of London.

A history of London through objects KS3 resource

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