An ongoing complaint of the British archaeology magazine Current Archaeology is the steady decline of interest in archaeology and history. Local archaeology societies are steadily dying out as their members age and fall away. How jealous today's archaeologists must be of the Victorian era, when archaeological societies and organizations abounded throughout Britain! Magazines like The Gentleman's Magazine ran regular reports of these various societies, where members gathered each month to discuss new finds and discoveries. Now, it's also true that today's archaeologists would probably be horrified at the methods of some of these amateur Victorian enthusiasts (most of whom belonged to the "dig it up and bring it home" school of excavation). But at the same time, if those enthusiasts hadn't unearthed such a wealth of finds, who knows whether those same objects might not have vanished forever in today's rush to build new roads and buildings? Here's a look at some of these Victorian findings.

The Clog Almanac (Illustrated London Almanack, 1850)

A curious form of an almanac on a four-sided stick.

Notice of a Saxon Brooch, Found in Warwickshire, by Albert Way (Archaeological Journal, 1852)

Notice of Two Remarkable Globular Objects Found in Sussex and Gloucestershire (Archaeological Journal, 1852)

A comparison of two hard-paste balls, curiously painted, found in different locations.

Objects belonging to Queen Elizabeth (Illustrated London Almanack, 1852)

The Bernal Collection (Illustrated London Almanack, 1856)

A look at the items sold at auction from the collection of R. Bernal, with prices and several nice illustrations.

[Admiral] Frobisher's Chair (Illustrated London Almanack, 1856)

The Cradle of Henri IV (Illustrated London Almanack, 1856)

Wonderful Things (Godey's, 1860)

A brief look at several historic curios.

Things Gone Out of Use, by John Timbs (Leisure Hour, 1868)

From hornbooks to turnspit dogs, a fascinating look back at things that were once in common use in England.

The Speaker's Mace, by H.M. Cundall, FSA (English Illustrated Magazine, 1892A)

The mace of the Speaker of the House of Commons, and a look at two maces now in Jamaica.

On Brasses and Brass Rubbing, by Gertrude Harraden (Girl's Own Paper, 1893, 1894, 1895)

Some Famous Chairs, by F.G. Kitton (The Strand, 1893B)

Chairs of famous folk and royalty.

Muzzles for Ladies (The Strand, 1894B)

Historic "scolds' bridles" and others.

Some Historic Cradles, by Sheila Braine (The Strand, 1894B)

The Armor of Old Japan, by M.S. Hunter (Century Magazine, 1895A)

Two Dozen Greek Coins, by Edward L. Cutts (English Illustrated Magazine, 1895A)

The Brooch in Saxon Times, by Arthur Wright (Girl's Own Paper, 1897)

Souvenirs of a Veteran Collector, by William A. Coffin (Century Magazine, 1897A)

Objects from the collection of famous engraver Samuel Avery.

The Evolution of a New World, by Beckles Wilson (Strand, 1901B)

Early maps of the Americas.

Kate Kennedy's Bell (Girl's Own Paper, 1901)

The origins of the bell in the college chapel of St. Andrew's University in Scotland.

The Romance of Portraiture (Strand, 1901B)

How portraits have been altered to conform to changes in taste - even to changes in subject, as in the alteration of a portrait of Charles I to one of Oliver Cromwell (and, eventually, back again).

A Remarkable Collection of Chessmen, by H.J. Holmes (Windsor Magazine, 1902A)

The Doulton mice are especially adorable...

• See the History, Archaeology & Folklore section for articles on archaeological finds throughout the world.