Iron Age War Horn Boudica Might Have Used

Boudica’s horn of horror: Iron Age treasures unearthed in Norfolk include a battle trumpet used to inspire warriors during combat

A separate carnyx war horn that was previously put on display at the British Museum in an exhibition on Celts (left). The newly discovered carnyx (right) has been hailed as 'hugely significant for our understanding of ancient British culture'

A remarkable collection of Iron Age objects dating back 2,000 years has been discovered in West Norfolk - and it includes a battle trumpet that could have been used by Boudica's warriors. 

The hoard of metal items, which were unearthed during a routine archaeological excavation, have been hailed as ‘hugely significant for our understanding of ancient British culture’.

Among them is a near-complete Iron Age battle trumpet, also known as a carnyx, which was used by Celtic tribes across Europe to inspire their warriors in battle against the expanding Roman empire.

The haul was found buried in land once populated by the Iceni tribe, which rose up against Roman rule in 60AD under warrior queen Boudica. 

The collection also includes a sheet-bronze boar’s head, originally from a military standard, as well as five shield bosses – the convex metal dome attached to the centre of the defensive object.

Experts said the finds are rare – not only in a British context, but across Europe.

‘This extraordinary find will add enormously to our understanding of the Iron Age world,’ Dr Fraser Hunter, Iron Age and Roman curator at National Museums Scotland and a leading authority on carnyces, said.

‘I’ve looked at carnyces from around Europe, and the full research and conservation of these incredibly fragile remains will reshape our view of sound and music in the Iron Age.’

A remarkable collection of Iron Age objects dating back 2,000 years has been discovered in West Norfolk. Pictured: Stacks of shield bosses covering the head of the carnyx

The near-complete Iron Age battle trumpet, also known as a carnyx, which was used by Celtic tribes across Europe to inspire their warriors in battle against the expanding Roman empire

The battle trumpets used by Iron Age Celts were elongated, vertical, S-shaped bronze wind instruments.

They were typically two metres (6.5 feet) tall and held upright so the loud, harsh and piercing sound would project over the heads of the warriors.

Its most distinctive feature was the upward-facing bell, which was often sculpted in the shape of an open-mouthed animal’s head.

The bronze boar head was originally part of a military standard and would have been held aloft to represent a unit’s identity or rallying point during battle.

Dr Tim Pestell, Senior Curator of Archaeology for Norfolk Museums Service, said: 'This find is a powerful reminder of Norfolk’s Iron Age past which, through the story of Boudica and the Iceni people, still retains its capacity to fascinate the British public.' 

The excavation was carried out by a company called Pre-Construct Archaeology on privately owned land in West Norfolk as part of standard planning procedures.

Following their discovery, the objects were carefully lifted within a block of soil from the site and scanning revealed how the items were positioned.

Conservation experts at Norfolk Museums Service were then able to remove each object for preliminary examination. The items are in a very fragile condition and require extensive stabilisation work before detailed research can begin.

The bronze boar head was originally part of a military standard and would have been held aloft to represent a unit’s identity or rallying point during battle

The battle trumpets used by Iron Age Celts were elongated, vertical, S-shaped bronze wind instruments

Senior conservator Jonathan Clark, undertaking the micro-excavation of the hoard. This delicate process involves carefully removing the objects from the block, securing and stabilizing the fragile material, documenting both the process and the finds and ensuring that no evidence is lost

Claudia Kenyatta CBE and Emma Squire CBE, Co-CEOs of Historic England, said: ‘This remarkable discovery is hugely significant for our understanding of ancient British culture.’

As the find consists of two or more base metal prehistoric items from the same find, it has been reported to the coroner as potential Treasure under the terms of the Treasure Act 1996.

Mark Hinman, Chief Executive at Pre-Construct Archaeology, said: ‘Before this dig began our Project Manager had “a feeling” that this site would be special.

‘We are so impressed with the team responsible for this find. They discovered something completely unexpected, paused for breath, then followed best excavation practice to recover these rare and fragile objects.’

Where the objects will be housed long-term is yet to be determined.

The initial discovery will be featured on the second episode of the new series of Digging for Britain which will be broadcast on BBC Two on 14 January at 9pm.

WHAT DO WE KNOW ABOUT IRON AGE BRITAIN?

The Iron Age in Britain started as the Bronze Age finished. 

It started around 800BC and finished in 43AD when the Romans invaded. 

As suggested by the name, this period saw large-scale changes thanks to the introduction of iron working technology.

During this period the population of Britain probably exceeded one million. 

This was made possible by new forms of farming, such as the introduction of new varieties of barley and wheat.

The invention of the iron-tipped plough made cultivating crops in heavy clay soils possible for the first time.

Some of the major advances during included the introduction of the potter's wheel, the lathe (used for woodworking) and rotary quern for grinding grain.

There are nearly 3,000 Iron Age hill forts in the UK. Some were used as permanent settlements, others were used as sites for gatherings, trade and religious activities.

At the time most people were living in small farmsteads with extended families.

The standard house was a roundhouse, made of timber or stone with a thatch or turf roof.

Burial practices were varied but it seems most people were disposed of by 'excarnation' - meaning they were left deliberately exposed.

There are also some bog bodies preserved from this period, which show evidence of violent deaths in the form of ritual and sacrificial killing.

Towards the end of this period there was increasing Roman influence from the western Mediterranean and southern France.

It seems that before the Roman conquest of England in 43AD they had already established connections with lots of tribes and could have exerted a degree of political influence.

After 43AD all of Wales and England below Hadrian's Wall became part of the Roman empire, while Iron Age life in Scotland and Ireland continued for longer.

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-15438693/Remarkable-hoard-Iron-Age-battle-trumpet.html

A group of copper alloy terrets (rein rings) which date back 2,000 years - around the time of the Roman conquest of southern Britain

A mask-like human face decorating the shoulder of the lidded vessel or cauldron, shown upside-down as found during excavation

Professor Tom Moore, head of the Department of Archaeology at Durham University, holds a decorative copper alloy finial

Experts believe this colourful, decorated item is a vessel lid which once belonged to a person of great status and wealth 

A 'once in a lifetime' haul - dating to the late third century

The hoard of 50 Roman coins

four different angles of a Roman cupid figurine

a Roman nail clipper made of copper alloy and bone

In Dorchester, a Neolithic henge called Maumbury Rings was adapted by the Romans to become an amphitheatre (pictured today)

This Colchester vase depicts a pair of gladiators named Memnon (left) and Valentinus (right) while engaged in battle - and was made from local clay

Trump Cuts Ties With 66 International Organizations

Trump cuts ties with 66 global bodies, including key UN agencies

Trump signs an order withdrawing US support from 66 international bodies, including UN agencies and the UN climate treaty.

The Trump administration announced on Wednesday it will withdraw from dozens of international organizations, including the UN’s population agency and the UN treaty that underpins global climate negotiations, reports the Associated Press.

President Donald Trump signed an executive order suspending US support for 66 organizations, agencies and commissions. The move follows his directive for a full review of American participation in, and funding for, all international bodies, including those affiliated with the UN, according to a White House statement posted on social media.

Most of the entities targeted are UN‑related agencies, commissions and advisory panels dealing with climate, labor and other issues the Trump administration has labeled as promoting diversity and “woke" initiatives.

In a statement, the State Department said, “The Trump administration has found these institutions to be redundant in their scope, mismanaged, unnecessary, wasteful, poorly run, captured by the interests of actors advancing their own agendas contrary to our own, or a threat to our nation’s sovereignty, freedoms, and general prosperity."

The administration had already suspended support for the World Health Organization, UNRWA, the UN Human Rights Council and UNESCO, adopting an a‑la‑carte approach to UN funding and choosing which agencies align with Trump’s agenda.

The shift marks a sharp departure from how previous Republican and Democratic administrations engaged with the UN, prompting the world body - already undergoing internal restructuring - to implement staffing and program cuts.

Independent NGOs, including those working with the UN, have reported widespread project closures following last year’s cuts to foreign assistance through USAID.

Despite the sweeping withdrawals, US officials, including Trump, say they still see value in the UN and intend to redirect taxpayer funds toward expanding US influence in key standard‑setting bodies where Washington competes with China, such as the International Telecommunications Union, the International Maritime Organization and the International Labor Organization.

The withdrawal from the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) is the latest step in distancing the US from climate‑focused international bodies. The UNFCCC, signed in 1992 by 198 countries, forms the basis of the Paris climate agreement, which Trump exited soon after returning to the White House.

Other organizations the US will leave include the Carbon Free Energy Compact, the United Nations University, the International Cotton Advisory Committee, the International Tropical Timber Organization, the Partnership for Atlantic Cooperation, the Pan‑American Institute for Geography and History, the International Federation of Arts Councils and Culture Agencies, and the International Lead and Zinc Study Group, according to AP.

The State Department said additional reviews are still underway.

https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/420572

Trump Takes U.S. out of 66 Globalist Organizations and Treaties

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Kay Nietfeld/picture alliance via Getty

Simon Kent

8 Jan 20261,265

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The Trump administration announced Wednesday it’s taking U.S. taxpayer dollars away from 66 globalist organizations, nearly half of them affiliated with the United Nations and all of which are identified as “contrary to the interests of the United States.”

Most notable is the U.N. Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), the parent treaty underpinning all major international climate agreements, AFP reports.

The treaty adopted in 1992 is a global pact by nations to cooperate to drive down planet-warming greenhouse gas emissions and adapt to the impacts of so-called “climate change.”

Trump, who has thrown the full weight of his domestic policy behind fossil fuels, has openly scorned speculation human activity is warming the planet, deriding it as a “hoax.”

His administration sent no representative to the most recent U.N. climate summit in Brazil in November, which is held every year under the auspices of the UNFCCC.

Now Trump is making sure U.S. taxpayer dollars are no longer spent at the discretion of the U.N. and its associated globalist affiliates. The AFP reports on just some of the organizations impacted:

The memo also directs the United States to withdraw from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, the UN body responsible for assessing climate science, alongside other climate-related organizations including the International Renewable Energy Agency, UN Oceans and UN Water.

As in his first term, Trump has also withdrawn the United States from UNESCO — the UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization — which Washington had rejoined under Biden.

Trump has likewise pulled the US out of the World Health Organization and sharply reduced foreign aid.

https://www.breitbart.com/politics/2026/01/08/trump-takes-u-s-out-of-66-globalist-organizations-and-treaties/

Aldrich Ames Passes Away

Spineless coward who betrayed America for vodka and to keep his wife happy: The pathetic double life... and death... of the worst CIA traitor in history

In the end, one of the most reviled traitors of the Cold War died in a grim prison cell, his brain so addled by vodka he couldn't remember many of the secrets he sold.

Aldrich Ames, the former CIA operative whose colossal betrayal cost the lives of numerous double agents, passed away aged 84 at the Federal Correctional Institution in Cumberland, Maryland.

He was serving a life sentence without parole. The Bureau of Prisons did not reveal a cause of death.

It was a long way from the life of luxury he had led after selling out his country to the Kremlin and spending the proceeds on fast cars, women and alcohol.

Over the course of a decade, Ames divulged secret U.S. missions to the KGB, kneecapping the CIA's spying operation at a crucial time in history as the Soviet Union was collapsing.

He revealed the identities of Soviet officials secretly working for the U.S. and up to 10 of them were executed by Moscow.

In all, he earned $2.7 million - about $6.7 million at current value - which was the most money paid by the Soviet Union to any American for spying.

Ames used it to fund a non-stop party for himself and his Colombian wife Rosario.

He drove a Jaguar, splashed out on a grand Washington home, and spent many of his days in an alcoholic haze.

The couple kept cash in Swiss bank accounts and ran up $50,000 annually in credit card bills.

Former CIA agent Aldrich Ames leaving federal court after pleading guilty to espionage and tax evasion conspiracy charges April 28, 1994, in Alexandria, Virginia

Ames worked as a counterintelligence analyst for the CIA for 31 years and passed information to the Kremlin between 1985 and his arrest in 1994.

Despite superiors regarding him as a poor spy, he learned Russian and rose to be head of the Soviet branch in the CIA's counterintelligence group.

In addition to handing the Kremlin the names of dozens of Russians spying for the U.S., he divulged satellite operations, eavesdropping and general spy procedures.

Relying on bogus information from Ames, CIA officials repeatedly misinformed presidents Ronald Reagan, George HW Bush and other top officials about Soviet military capabilities.

In 1994 he pleaded guilty without a trial to espionage and tax evasion and was sentenced to life in prison without parole.

He admitted 'profound shame and guilt' for 'this betrayal of trust, done for the basest motives.'

Ames is led from the courthouse after being unmasked for selling secrets to Russia

The seal of the Central Intelligence Agency at CIA Headquarters in Langley, Virginia, where Ames worked

That motive was to pay debts run up while living beyond his means.

'You might as well ask why a middle-aged man with no criminal record might put a paper bag over his head and rob a bank. I acted out of personal desperation,' Ames said.

'When I got the money, the whole burden descended on me, and the realization of what I had done.'

But he was critical of the CIA and downplayed the damage he had caused.

'These spy wars are a sideshow which have had no real impact on our significant security interests over the years,' he claimed.

President Ronald Reagan with general secretary of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union Mikhail Gorbachev in 1985, the year Ames began selling secrets

Moscow executed some of the Russian double agents betrayed by Ames

Aldrich Hazen Ames was born on May 26, 1941, in River Falls, Wisconsin, and was known as 'Rick.'

He was the son of Carleton Ames, a professor of European and Asian history, who also worked for the CIA.

At age 12, while the family was in Burma, Ames learned of his father's role.

He later got a summer job as a handyman at CIA headquarters in Langley, Virginia and became a clerk there in 1962 aged 26.

In 1969 he married another spy, Nancy Segebarth.

Problems with alcohol bedeviled his stints in Turkey, Mexico and Italy and he was arrested for drunk driving.

Aldrich Ames in his 1959 yearbook 

Ames was caught in 1994 when Bill Clinton was president

In New York, he disastrously left a case containing classified information on a subway train.

In Mexico he was involved in a drunken row with a Cuban official at an embassy reception.

He divorced his first wife and married Rosario, who was the cultural attaché at the Colombian Embassy in Mexico City.

On April 16, 1985, while working at Langley, he went to the Soviet Embassy in Washington and offered an envelope containing classified information.

He and Russian officials then sealed their deal at a a long, alcohol-fueled boozy lunch in a hotel near the White House, and the KGB paid him an initial $50,000.

There were further meetings with the KGB, including in Bogota and Rome.

The Central Intelligence Agency headquarters in Langley, Virginia, where Ames stole secrets from

Ames at a meal in Colombia in 1994, the year he was caught

At one point he walked out of CIA headquarters at Langley with a stack of documents in a briefcase weighing six pounds, and delivered it straight to the Soviet Embassy in Washington.

He also passed classified documents to the KGB using 'dead drops' - prearranged hiding spots - around Washington.

KGB agents picked up the packages and left money and instructions for the next dead drop.

Meanwhile, the CIA and FBI could not work out why their Russian double agents kept being arrested and executed.

After a 10-month investigation. on October 13, 1993, investigators found a chalk mark Ames had made on a mailbox and confirmation of a meeting in Bogota, Colombia, and he was soon arrested.

In court, Ames was sentenced to life in jail without parole.

Rosario pleaded guilty to tax evasion and conspiracy to commit espionage and was sentenced to 63 months.

Following her release, she returned to Colombia with her son.

Ames made 'dead drops' around Washington DC to pass information to the KGB

Amid the fallout from the scandal CIA director James Woolsey resigned after refusing to fire or demote anyone at Langley.

Woolsey said: 'They (the double agents) died because this warped, murdering traitor wanted a bigger house and a Jaguar.'

In a later interview from jail Ames, one of the most reviled villains of the Cold War era, attributed no grand motive for his betrayal.

'The reasons that I did what I did were personal, banal, and amounted really to kind of greed and folly, as simple as that,' he said.

'I knew quite well, when I gave the names of our agents in the Soviet Union, that I was exposing them to the full machinery of counterespionage and the law, and then prosecution, and capital punishment.'

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-15442719/Aldrich-Ames-spy-dead-CIA-traitor.html

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