My Jewellery, My Story
People have loved wearing jewellery for thousands of years. Occasionally it’s useful, sometimes it’s for decoration and often it holds special memories.
Jewellery can also show what someone believes, how wealthy they are, or what is important to them.
The discovery of the Cossington Necklace
In 1999, archaeologists working at a quarry in Cossington, Leicestershire, found something amazing. In a grave from the Early Bronze Age, they uncovered 13 beads, positioned as if worn as a necklace. These beads came from places like Whitby, Dorset and as far away as the Baltic Sea. Incredibly they were made almost 4,000 years ago!
You can see the necklace on display at Charnwood Museum.
Our project
We don’t know much about the person buried with this necklace. Who were they? What was their story? We may never know exactly why this beautiful necklace was buried, but it suggests the person’s life was important, and their jewellery carried meaning. We asked local people to share their own stories about their jewellery to help us understand their stories and connections. Their responses show how much jewellery still means to us today, just like it did in the past.
With thanks
This project would not have been possible with out the knowledge, experience, expertise and insight from the following professionals;
Anisha Parmar-Creative & Cultural Practitioner, Curator, and Jewellery Designer,www.anishaparmar.com
Dr Roberta Bernabei, School of Design and Creative Arts, Loughborough University, UK https://www.lboro.ac.uk/schools/design-creative-arts/people/roberta-bernabei/
John Thomas- University of Leicester Archaeological Services (ULAS) https://le.ac.uk/ulas
Emma Jones- Ancient Craft https://www.ancientcraft.co.uk/
