Rare 2,000-year-old Roman pan found near Bury St Edmunds goes on display at West Stow Anglo-Saxon Village and Museum

A rare and almost complete early Roman copper-alloy pan discovered near Bury St Edmunds is now on public display.

The 2,000-year-old pan, which likely dates from the first century to the first half of second century AD, and may have been used for heating wine, is on display at West Stow Anglo-Saxon Village.

The pan was discovered buried in a small pit cut into a Roman ditch, perhaps as an offering. It is 30cm in length and 8.6cm deep, similar in size to a modern day 16cm saucepan.

It was discovered earlier this year by metal detectorist Tom Hyett. Realising he had found something remarkable, he contacted Suffolk County Council Archaeological Service (SCCAS).

A team from SCCAS was able to excavate the pan and record the archaeological context, before it was taken to the laboratory at Norfolk Museum Service Conservators, where the soil was removed and the pan conserved ready for display.

Cllr Philip Faircloth-Mutton, Suffolk County Council cabinet member forenvironment, communities and equality, said: “I’d like to thank Tom for quickly recognising the significance of his discovery and getting in touch with SCCAS so our team could excavate the pan, record it and help to preserve it.

“Tom’s actions mean everyone can understand a little more about Suffolk’s history. His, and the landowner’s, generosity to donate this special object mean we can all view it on display.

“The council’s archaeological service, based in Bury, provides a fantastic public service and truly are custodians of Suffolk’s past. They record much of the history excavated in our county, which often turns out to be of national and international importance.”

Faye Minter, Suffolk County Council’s archaeology archives and projects manager, said: “At SCCAS we record around 6,000 objects each year. If anyone, particularly metal detector users, discovers an object which they think is old, then we encourage them to contact us. We offer a free service to identify and record archaeological finds.

“If the object isn’t classed a treasure, we will borrow it to create a detailed record and then return it to the finder. In the case of this Roman pan, the landowner and Tom kindly donated it to the museum.”

The pan is missing the middle section of the entire circumference of the bowl, due to corrosion and old breaks. It therefore now survives in three sections, the handle and rim, the remaining bowl wall and the base.

A maker’s mark is stamped onto the handle, though no parallel mark has been found. It appears that, apart from two South Italian families, the Cipii and the Ansii, which occur more frequently, most of the stamps on such pans are single examples, including those on other pans found in Brandon and Herringfleet, in Suffolk.

The pans were made in Campania, Southern Italy, and also in Gaul and are widely distributed across Europe. They may have been used for heating wine.

Cllr Ian Shipp, cabinet member for leisure at West Suffolk Council, which runs West Stow, said: “We are delighted to receive this find to display among our artefacts at West Stow.

“We recognise the importance of our history and heritage. It’s part of our culture and contributes to our strategic priority for thriving communities by providing attractions and activities which residents and visitors alike can come along to learn from, understand and enjoy.

“As an avid metal detectorist myself I understand the importance of such historical finds and would echo the call to report them to the archaeology service so they can be properly identified and recorded.”

A number of organisations were involved in the recovery and preservation of the Roman pan.

Initial excavation was funded by the National Council of Metal Detecting; conservation work was paid for by the landowner, finder and the Brecks Fen Edge and Rivers National Lottery Heritage Fund funded project; and it was recorded by the Suffolk Finds Recording Team, supported by the Portable Antiquities Scheme.

To find out more about archaeology in Suffolk, and what to do if you find something of archaeological interest, visit heritage.suffolk.gov.uk.