History of Northampton Gallery 1

You are here: Home | History of Northampton Gallery 1

History of Northampton Gallery 1

Looking into glass case with text and panels at the back and objects hung in the front.

Object tour of the History of Northampton Gallery 1

Enjoy our top pick of history objects on display in the History of Northampton Gallery 1. The gallery moves chronologically through time and displays objects from pre-history until the English Civil War.

Flint cutting tools

A selection of flints used by hunters found in Northampton dating from the Middle Stone Age or Mesolithic period between 10,000 and 4,000 BCE.

Polished hand axes

The hand axes on display date from the Neolithic period 4,000 – early Bronze Age 1,500 BCE. Although found in Northampton, they were originally brought here from various parts of Britain.

Bust of Lucius Verus

It is likely that the small, bronze bust found at Duston represents the Roman emperor Lucius Verus who ruled between 161 – 169 CE. Perhaps made in Gaul, which is now France, the style shows a combination of classical and Celtic influences.

Torc neck ring

The Brackmills Torc was found around the neck of a skeleton of a middle-aged woman. The body, dating to around 400 BCE had been trussed up before being placed in a pit. It is possible that she had committed a crime or was a sacrificial victim.

Carved stone from Northampton Castle

Decorative castle stone, most likely to derive from the royal apartments of Northampton Castle, developed by Henry III in the mid-1200s.

Jewish medieval tombstone

Part of a tombstone from the Jewish cemetery at Northampton dating to 1200 CE. Inscribed in Hebrew, it is memory of Solomon, a Rabbi and scholar. It is probably the only surviving medieval Jewish tombstone in England.

Museums