From the Times Online: Dining, Roman-style, as London dig finds history by the bucketful.

Wine buckets, bowls and dishes with an elegant beaded design are among a spectacular Roman hoard of international importance that has been discovered in London.

Archaeologists have unearthed more than 1,100 objects dating from the first to third centuries AD that they described yesterday as unprecedented in size and scale.

The finds, which will give dramatic new insight into Londinium, the Roman city, include the most complete timber door to have survived anywhere in the Roman Empire, as well as shiny metal vessels in an exceptional state of preservation and the large-scale remains of an entire Roman streetscape.

There is a service complete with buckets, large dishes, handled shallow bowls, a set of three nested bowls, an iron ladle and a trivet. Most are made of copper alloy and would have graced the dining table of a wealthy household. Even organic materials such as wood and leather have survived, while most of the metal is barely corroded. Some of the objects have swing handles that remain articulated after nearly 1,700 years. [continue]