Priceless artefacts including 850 Anglo-Saxon beads have been stolen from an archaeological charity in Canterbury during a series of break-ins.

Thieves broke into the store of the Canterbury Archaeological Trust, which undertakes excavations and research and educates the public about archaeology, twice last week and once over the weekend.

As well as the beads, large quantities of coins and metal artefacts, and an assortment of bone objects have been stolen.

Thieves ransacked the premises of Canterbury Archaeological Trust during a series of break-ins. Photograph: Canterbury Archaeological Trust

The charity has put on an appeal asking the public to look out for the historical items being offered for sale.

The trust’s outreach and archive manager Dr Andrew Richardson told the Guardian: “It’s been pretty distressing for everyone at the trust, not only because of the lost items but also the scale of the damage.

“They actually smashed their way through an exterior wall which contains asbestos so we’re having to get a specialist company in to fix it. They also cut through water and electric pipes.”



He said that due to “chaos” caused by the break in, it’s been difficult to ascertain exactly what has been taken but he estimates about 1,500 individual items are missing.

“It’s going to take hours of work trying to work out what has gone missing. It will be a big job and we’ll probably have to draft in volunteers.”

He added that the police were called and officers have been in to take forensics and that more security has been put in.

The thieves also raided the charity’s educational loans collection and stole replica metal axes, pins, coins and other items, including a plaster bust of Queen Victoria. They also stole more than £1,000 worth of tools.



In an email from Richardson, shared online by archaeology news website thePipeLine, he said: “Our best chance of recovering some or all of the items is to spread awareness of the thefts far and wide, in the hope that things will be recognised when the thieves try to sell the items.”

Richardson also said the metal coins and artefacts were from under Canterbury’s Whitefriars shopping centre, which they had excavated prior to construction.

The bone objects were from a range of sites most notably the Beaney – a Grade II listed building in Canterbury, which is now a museum, library and art gallery. He added that the beads came from various cemeteries.

The trust is currently undertaking excavations at St Albans Cathedral and at Slatters Hotel in Canterbury.