Posted on 05/12/2025 5:26:27 PM PDT by Red Badger
Metal detectorists in southwest England have discovered an extraordinary Anglo-Saxon gold and garnet raven’s head. It dates to the 7th century and is intricately decorated with an inlaid garnet eye surrounded by a white enamel circle, individual feathers outlined in filigree and inlaid with garnets on a waffle-pattern foil backing, a technique found on many Anglo-Saxon objects.
The raven was discovered by Chris Phillips at a rally this January with the group Ninth Region Metal Detecting Group. Another member of the group, Paul Gould, first discovered a flattened gold band inlaid with triangular garnets set in filigree outlines. Then Phillips made his find nearby. In keeping with best practices, they did not clean the artifacts which were caked with soil, and stopped detecting after informing the landowner and the Portable Antiquities Scheme finds liaison. Experts recognized the raven head as a spectacular piece of national, and perhaps even international importance.
Initial cleaning revealed the right side of the raven’s head, which is missing a garnet eye, as well as incised nostrils on its beak. Phillips noted that, with the dirt removed from the inside of the raven’s head, small pins could be seen. Those may have attached the decorative head to a drinking horn, he thinks, similar to an example found in the Anglo-Saxon ship burial at Sutton Hoo.
The ring that Gould discovered was also cleaned by experts, but it is still unclear if it was a piece of jewelry or a decoration that became detached from its original context.
Since the initial discovery, archaeologists and metal detectorists have investigated the find site and discovered two more gold artifacts from the same period. A geophysical survey has found evidence of archaeological material underground, and a full excavation is planned for the summer of 2026.
Lost or stashed for later...never revisited
And then there was the East coast of England which was referred to as the Danelaw. Where do you think Hamlet came from?
Too many lyres in the family, angling for position, tooting their own horns.
What a caco-phony.
Anglo-Saxon gold and garnet raven’s head found
Raven wood have found it, but it's Indiana hoosier man.
This is because of which kingdoms survived the Danes
Before the Norse came, the Northumbrians and Mercians were far more powerful than the Saxons in the south
But they were conquered and only the west saxons survived as an independent kingdom
So the Angle-ish survived and the country took on their name
Just as the Britons and Picts took on the term "Scotti" which was an IRISH tribe
bttt
I didn’t find anything. Someone in England did, I can’t find any reference to it now.
Little Orphan Annie Decoder Ring
The Little Orphan Annie decoder ring was a promotional item distributed by the Ovaltine company for the radio program “Little Orphan Annie.” These decoders allowed fans to decode secret messages that were broadcast during the show. The ring featured a simple substitution cipher, typically using a numeric cipher text to encode and decode messages. For example, in the movie “A Christmas Story,” a scene depicts the Little Orphan Annie radio show transmitting a secret message that decoded to “Be sure to drink your Ovaltine,” although the actual broadcasts usually previewed the next episode of the show.
The decoder rings were produced from 1935 to 1940, and they were an important part of the “Radio Orphan Annie’s Secret Society” fan club.
The earliest known decoder ring from 1939 features the year, “Radio Orphan Annie’s SS” and two skeleton keys embossed upon it, with the “SS” standing for “Secret Society”.
These decoder rings were not only popular but also valuable collectibles today, with rare examples fetching high prices. For instance, a Little Orphan Annie Altascope Ring from 1942 is considered one of the rarest of all premium rings and is highly sought after by collectors.
Little Orphan Annie Decoder Ring: A promotional item distributed by Ovaltine for the radio show “Little Orphan Annie,” featuring a simple substitution cipher for decoding secret messages.
1942 Little Orphan Annie Altascope Ring: A rare collectible ring issued briefly by Quaker Cereals during their final year of sponsorship for the radio program, featuring a “Pursuit Plane” and a “Bombing Plane” on opposite sides.
Radio Orphan Annie’s Secret Society: The fan club associated with the radio show “Little Orphan Annie,” which distributed decoders and other promotional items.
AI-generated answer. Please verify critical facts.
A seventh century church key. Didn’t know they had beer bottles back then.
They had to open them with their teeth............
Thanks!
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