Magic beakers & Roman helmets: artefacts that shaped history

Michael Lewis and Ian Richardson explore some of the everyday artefacts and discoveries that have reshaped our understanding of history

Published: June 30, 2025 at 9:28 AM

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Metal detectorists and members of the general public have contributed hugely to our understanding of Britain's past, through the artefacts they have found hidden in the ground. Speaking to David Musgrove, Michael Lewis and Ian Richardson revisit some of the everyday discoveries that have reshaped history – from a Bronze Age cup with magical properties and a Roman cavalry helmet that would have been very hard to see out of, to a hoard of gold coins that tells us a lot about resistance to the Normans after 1066.

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Michael Lewis and Ian Richardson are authors of Beneath our Feet: Everyday Discoveries Reshaping History (Thames & Hudson, 2025).

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Authors

Dr David Musgrove, FSAContent director

David Musgrove is the content director at HistoryExtra

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