Archaeology: The great treasure hunt

A bottle from P Dowd Brewery, Manchester. In the absence of uncontaminated drinking water in the late 19th century, beer provided a safe alternative Photograph: Mike Pitts

Excavations at the Co-op headquarters in Manchester close to what is now Victoria Station. During the industrial revolution the area was part of the city's slums Photograph: Oxford Archeology

Archaeologist Jakob Kainz with a discovery he made this summer in the Orkney island of Westray, a figurine with what is thought to be the oldest known representation of a human face in Scotland Photograph: Historic Scotland

Medieval drinking bottles known as Bellarmine jars at the Museum of London Archaeology (MOLA) collection Photograph: Graham Turner

The skull of a vervet monkey from sub-Saharan Africa found in an 18th century cesspit in Clerkenwell, part of the collection at MOLA Photograph: Graham Turner

A late Roman brooch is examined at MOLA Photograph: Graham Turner

Some examples in the National Roman Fabric Reference Collection at MOLA Photograph: Graham Turner

The Vindolanda Trust excavation site in Northumberland, close to Hadrian's Wall Photograph: Mark Pinder/Mark Pinder

Andrew Birley, director of the Vindolanda Trust, with a plinth dedicated to Jupiter of Doliche which was discovered at the site earlier this year Photograph: Mark Pinder

A piece of pottery unearthed by a volunteer at Vindolanda Photograph: Mark Pinder

Volunteers from the Norton Community Archaeology Group dig at the site of a medieval village in Hertfordshire Photograph: Graham Turner

A tray of finds from the medieval village Photograph: Graham Turner

Keith Fitzpatrick-Matthews, archaeology officer for North Herts District Council, inspects a piece of pottery from the Norton site Photograph: Graham Turner

Ilanith Pongolini with finds from the Cambridge University site in the north-west of the city Photograph: Dave Webb

A piece of Roman glass found at the Cambridge site Photograph: Dave Webb

Project officer Simon Hughes tracing the site plans at Bellever Photograph: Jim Wileman

Trowelling at a roundhouse site at Bellever in Dartmoor National Park Photograph: Jim Wileman