For hundreds of thousands of years our ancestors have walked these isles burying, dropping and throwing away their belongings, and now these treaures lie waiting for us, keeping their secrets until we uncover them once more. Every year, hundreds of vaulable artefacts are discovered by ordinary members of the British public. Here in Britain's Secret Treasures, which accompanies the ITV series, the British Museum chooses eighty of the most fascinating finds ever reported and Mary-Ann Ochota shares with us the moving histories that bring each piece to life. There is also a detailed chapter showing you how you can get involved in archaeology too. From hoards of Roman gold and Bronze Age drinking vessels to tiny Viking spindle whorls and weapons from dozens of wars, all manner of treausres are described here. Some help prove that our ancestors were alive over half a million years ago, some saw their modern-day finders receive a generous reward, all provide an insight into the wodnerful, dynamic, colourful history of our nation.

In Secret Britain, join anthropologist and broadcaster Mary-Ann Ochota for a tour of more than 70 of Britain's most intriguing archaeological sites and artefacts.

For the times when you’re driving past a lumpy, bumpy field and you wonder what made the lumps and bumps; for when you’re walking between two lines of grand trees, wondering when and why they were planted; for when you see a brown heritage sign pointing to a ‘tumulus’ but you don’t know what to look for… Entertaining and factually rigorous, Hidden Histories will help you decipher the story of our landscape through the features you can see around you. This Spotter’s Guide arms the amateur explorer with the crucial information needed to ‘read’ the landscape and spot the human activities that have shaped our green and pleasant land. Photographs and diagrams point out specific details and typical examples to help the curious Spotter ‘get their eye in’ and understand what they’re looking at, or looking for. Specially commissioned illustrations bring to life the processes that shaped the landscape - from medieval ploughing to Roman road building - and stand-alone capsules explore interesting aspects of history such as the Highland Clearances or the coming of Christianity. This unique guide uncovers the hidden stories behind the country's landscape, making it the perfect companion for an exploration of our green and pleasant land.

The romance of hidden treasure has long been a subject of interest to A. Hyatt Verrill. In a previous book, 'Lost Treasure/' the author tracked down the existing treasures in South and Central America and along the Spanish Maine. In ''Secret Treasure," he gives a fascinating account of the hidden riches of the British Isles, a record which is based upon months of laborious research. As the author explains, in Great Britain there has been ample opportunity and motive for the hiding of possessions in the centuries that have passed and in the waves of warfare of one kind or another that have inundated the small islands. The scope of the story embraces England, Ireland, Scotland, and Wales, and includes accounts of such fabulous treasures as that of the Florencea Galleon whereon was lost the gold of the Armada, the treasure of the Tower of London, which Pepys writes about, and traditional treasures like Dick Wittington's and that of Wallingford Castle. "Secret Treasure" is an exciting adventure into a field which is perpetually romantic. It is told in a delightfully vivid manner. It is Mr. Verrill at his best.

This is a new release of the original 1931 edition.