Anglo-Saxon hoard of gold and silver the biggest ever discovered . . .
. . . . . and it was a metal detectorist who discovered it!
You've no doubt read plenty of recent reports of metal detector enthusiasts who've discovered coins, rings, buckles, jewelry, and other items of archaeological and historical interest. For the people who make these finds, and the people who own the land they're found on, it's usually a lucrative endeavor, and sometimes a life-changing one. Well, the find made in July by 55-year-old Terry Herbert of Staffordshire really takes the cake: it's estimated -- conservatively -- to be worth at least one million pounds.
Found buried beneath a field in Staffordshire -- which is the center of what was once the Anglo-Saxon kingdom of Mercia -- the hoard of about 1,500 pieces weighs over 10 pounds and is believed to date as far back as the 7th century. Pieces include coins, helmet decorations, parts of swords and scabbards, Christian crosses, and a strip of gold with a biblical inscription in Latin that had been bent into folds. Scholars think the cache may have been plunder, as there was no trace of a building or grave. Altogether, the hoard is about three times that of the treasure discovered at Sutton Hoo in 1939.
Currently on display at the Birmingham Museum, the hoard will later be moved to the British Museum, where it will undergo months of close study.
- Check out the article by Maev Kennedy at the Guardian, which includes a video of Terry Herbert (who describes himself as "absolutely gobsmacked") with part of his discovery.
- Visit the feature by John F. Burns at the New York Times, which has some very nice photos.
- View some stunning photographs and download a pdf catalog of the objects at the Staffordshire Hoard official site.
- Get more info about the find and the exhibition at the Birmingham Museums and Art Gallery site.
- Check out the Staffordshire Hoard Photo Essay put together by About's Guide to Archaeology, K. Kris Hirst.
- Learn more about Early Medieval Britain.
Comments
It was an accredited metal detectorist! There is quite a controversy involving metal detectors in England.