Uncover the past through the archaeological treasures discovered across Petersfield and the surrounding area. Our collection is home to many of the fascinating discoveries found during ‘People of the Heath’, a four-year project into the Early Bronze Age barrow cemetery on Petersfield Heath, alongside numerous recent finds that have been made within the region.
People of the Heath - Petersfield’s Prehistoric Barrows
A community project hosted by Petersfield Museum and Art Gallery
Around 4,000 years ago, Early Bronze Age people buried their dead in barrows. 21 barrows survive on Petersfield Heath, showing the significance of the area long before the town existed.
During the four-year project ‘People of the Heath’, archaeologists and volunteers excavated 14 of the Heath barrows. They discovered cremation urns and evidence of a variety of different funeral practices. They also revealed a Stone Age campsite floor with thousands of flint tools and flakes from about 9,000 years ago.
You can find out more about the project here.
Local Discoveries
Artefacts, including tools, decorative items, and non-portable remains, can tell us much about how people lived in specific times and places. The most common artefact found is a potsherd, a broken piece of pottery and flints. There are many examples in our collection. There are also several intriguing artefacts, including two twisted bar torcs and two geometrically incised armlets, middle Bronze Age, c1400-1250BC.
