Huge Anglo-Saxon gold hoard found

[dipsydoodle]

The UK's largest haul of Anglo-Saxon treasure has been discovered buried beneath a field in Staffordshire.

Experts said the collection of 1,500 gold and silver pieces, which may date back to the 7th Century, was unparalleled in size.

It has been declared treasure by South Staffordshire coroner Andrew Haigh, meaning it belongs to the Crown.

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The collection contains about 5kg of gold and 2.5kg of silver, making it far bigger than the Sutton Hoo discovery in 1939 when 1.5kg of Anglo-Saxon gold was found near Woodbridge in Suffolk.

[muriel_volestrangler]

1. I've reposted this in GD, with a link and picture

I hope you don't mind me stealing it, but archaeology goes down quite well in GD, it seems.

(The link: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/staffordshire/8272058.stm)

[dipsydoodle]

2. Feel free

Wasn't sure if it would interest those outside the UK or not. I think its truly wonderful when such finds occur. It's already been declared as treasure trove but I'm sure the finder will be well rewarded anyway.

[oldironside]

3. According to the article...

... the finder and the landowner could share £1m.

These pieces are absolutely beautiful. The scabbard boss and the plaque with intertwined arms are the most gorgeous pieces of work, although the plaque wouldn't look out of place as a modern corporate logo. The most interesting thing for me, however, is the folded cross. It was presumably folded up in a hurry by the guy that hid it, obviously more interested in it's gold content than it's religious significance.

[dipsydoodle]

4. I'd say the value of that lot

is an untold amount - almost priceless. I don't normally bother with the British Museum but I'd go to see that collection when it arrives at a distant date.

Yes - interesting observation you made about the cross.

:hi:

[oldironside]

5. I'd recommend a visit to the British Museum to anyone.

It's not difficult to avoid the mummies (I really don't like the idea of corpses on display - far too ghoulish), there are some fantastic exhibits. Personal favourites include some gorgeous jewellery from the Roman occupation, Queen Elizabeth's guitar, the Sutton Hoo finds and the Isle of Lewis chess set. And that's without mentioning the stuff we may have to give back one day.

[fedsron2us]

6. Notice how beautifully clear the inscription is on the strip.

It is very close to a modern type face which is one of the weird things about much early medieval handwriting. Almost any modern person can decipher the letters used in the centuries immediately around the time of Charlemagne yet if you gave them something similar from the end of the middle ages they would really struggle to read it. It is this flash of recognition of something shared over the centuries which makes history so fascinating.

[muriel_volestrangler]

7. I hadn't thought of that; and, ironically, since it was in Latin

it was more identifiable to me than if it had been in Anglo-Saxon.