Anglo-Saxon Artifacts Discovered in Stafford

Archaeological excavations across the historic county town of Stafford have revealed a rich collection of Anglo-Saxon artifacts that illuminate its pivotal role as a fortified Mercian administrative and manufacturing center. Established as a burh in 913 AD by Æthelflæd, Lady of the Mercians, Stafford has yielded substantial evidence of late Saxon settlement through excavations conducted over the past several decades. Key recoveries include abundant quantities of the regionally significant "Stafford Ware" pottery, bone and antler daily tools, metal dress accessories, coin dies, ironworking debris, and ecclesiastical remains primarily unearthed in areas around St. Bertelin’s Church, Clarke Street, and the town center.

Stafford Ware Pottery

The most ubiquitous and defining Anglo-Saxon find in the town is Stafford Ware, a distinct type of late Saxon wheel-thrown ceramic dating from the late 9th to the early 11th century. Uncovered in large concentrations at Clarke Street and other central urban sites, Stafford Ware consists mainly of cooking pots, simple jars, and shallow bowls made from local clay and often decorated with geometric roller-stamping (rouletting). Its presence in vast quantities confirms that Stafford hosted a major ceramic production industry that supplied not only the local population but also surrounding settlements across the West Midlands.

Bone and Antler Objects

Excavations into waterlogged and stratified Saxon deposits have preserved various organic items fashioned from animal bone and antler. Archaeologists have recovered single- and double-sided composite antler combs held together with iron rivets, demonstrating personal grooming habits of the town's inhabitants. Other recovered bone items include needles, weaving battens, spindle whorls, and dress pins, indicating domestic textile production within Stafford’s timber-built dwellings.

Metalwork and Coinage

Metal artifacts from the period reflect both everyday life and urban administration. Excavators have unearthed iron knives, shears, padlocks, iron keys, and bronze strap-ends, buckles, and brooches. The recovery of crucible fragments, iron slag, and metalworking tools indicates that smithing was a routine industrial activity along the river terraces. Additionally, Anglo-Saxon silver pennies have been found, alongside coin dies that substantiate historical records of Stafford operating as a royal mint under King Athelstan and subsequent monarchs.

Ecclesiastical Finds at St. Bertelin’s

The site of St. Bertelin’s Church, located next to the Collegiate Church of St. Mary, yielded critical early Christian and late Saxon artifacts during excavations in the 1950s and 1970s. Archaeologists identified the post-holes of an early 10th-century wooden church alongside an intact, carved wooden cross shaft buried beneath later masonry. The site also revealed Saxon stone cross fragments, grave markers, and burials associated with the veneration of Saint Bertelin, confirming the site’s religious prominence during the height of the Kingdom of Mercia.