Posted on 09/24/2009 4:10:21 AM PDT by csvset
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.
Terry Herbert, who found it on farmland using a metal detector, said it "was what metal detectorists dream of". It may take more than a year for it to be valued.
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.
Leslie Webster, former keeper at the British Museum's Department of Prehistory and Europe, said: "This is going to alter our perceptions of Anglo-Saxon England as radically, if not more so, as the Sutton Hoo discoveries.
"(It is) absolutely the equivalent of finding a new Lindisfarne Gospels or Book of Kells." The Book of Kells and Lindisfarne Gospels are intricately illuminated manuscripts of the four New Testament Gospels dating from the 9th and 8th Centuries. 'Just unbelievable' Mr Herbert, 55, of Burntwood in Staffordshire, who has been metal detecting for 18 years, came across the hoard as he searched land belonging to a farmer friend over five days in July.
The exact location has not been disclosed. "I have this phrase that I say sometimes; 'spirits of yesteryear take me where the coins appear', but on that day I changed coins to gold," he said. "
(Excerpt) Read more at news.bbc.co.uk ...
Thanks for posting the link.
I have been reading about this every day since. Some reports say it is bigger than Sutton Hoo. What do you think?
I have no idea, but it would be fascinating to be involved with a find like this. Short of discovering a gold laden shipwreck, this is probably the best an average Joe could hope for as far as treasure hunting goes.
An acquaintance found a platinum ladies wristwatch. He's also found wedding and school rings, bracelets, etc.
About 10 years or so ago, some folks were caught "prospecting" on the Navy base in Yorktown, VA. They were fined and their finds, (Civil War artifacts), were confiscated.
The guys who have been metal detecting for awhile all say that if you stick with it you'll find something worthwhile.
My pleasure, and I agree.
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