History

This silver pyx was found by a metal detectorist at Hoghton near Preston. It was once used by a Catholic Priest to carry the sacred bread – the body of Christ – to those who could not get to church to receive Holy Communion. Religious intolerance after the Gunpowder Plot in 1605 meant it was illegal to even own one.

Other items relating to Catholicism in Lancashire include a small collection of locally-excavated finds by archaeologists and metal detectorists including pottery fragments associated with Preston’s Friary.

This flint flake from the River Bann in Northern Ireland dates from the Mesolithic period between 10,000 and 4,000 years ago. It is a piece of knapped flint that would have originally been mounted in a handle and used as a knife or cutting and scraping implement. It is one of 200 items in the Harris collection from this area of Northern Ireland, which includes flint flakes, fishing net sinkers, and gouges.

This red figure vase – or Pelike – used to contain wine or water. It is part of a small collection of 50 items of complete pieces of Greek pottery and pottery fragments collected by Reverend Finch of Penwortham Hall. Other related collections include Greek coins and the Parthenon friezes that are part of the architecture of the Harris.

This painted wooden face is from an Ancient Egyptian mummy case. It was designed to preserve the image of the deceased person in the afterlife.

This item is part of a small Egyptology collection excavated in tombs at Abydos – about 10 miles from the Nile and a popular place for people who wished to be buried close to the god Osiris.

This medieval stone marked a heart burial – where the heart was buried separately to the body. This occurred when the whole body could not be transported home or when special reverence was shown for the heart. The grave marker was found incorporated into the wall of a building in New Hall Lane – still the site of Preston’s cemetery today. The Harris holds a small collection of about 100 other medieval items including floor tiles from Sawley Abbey, metal fragments from Penwortham Castle, finds from Preston’s Friary and Viking coins.

This Roman shoe fragment was found during the excavations of the walls of Ribchester fort in 1888. The excavations were led by the Reverend Jonathan Shortt, the first curator of the Preston Museum on Cross Street and the Harris Museum. The sole was found with studded nails still embedded, but these haven’t survived. The Harris holds a small collection of other Roman finds including coin hoards, pottery and metal fragments and a replica of the famous Ribchester Parade Helmet.

These urns were found in the centre of the Bleasdale Circle – one of the most important Bronze Age sites in Lancashire. They contained pieces of charcoal, bone and linen consistent with cremation which have been dated to 4000 years old. They are part of small collection of Bleasdale finds which include timber posts. The Harris holds a small collection of other Bronze Age items including axeheads and spears

This is the skull of a man who lived in the North West of England around 5,500 years ago. He was about 40 years old when he died – but we don’t know how he died. Stone Age people like him lived nomadic lifestyles hunting animals and gathering wild foods. They used stone and flint tools and wore clothes made from animal skins.

This is one of 23 human skulls in the Harris collection which were found during excavations for Preston Dock. Other Stone Age collections include flints from the Bann Culture in Northern Ireland, stone axes and arrow heads.

This elk skeleton dates from the last ice age 13,500 years ago and was found in the village of Carleton near Poulton-le-Fylde. The injuries on its bones – and the weapons found with it – make it the earliest evidence of human habitation in Lancashire. Other skeletal remains in the collection include red deer, horse, whale, sheep, goat and auroch skulls.