The hoard of Anglo-Saxon treasure found in Staffordshire, England is the largest such finding ever. As seen below, the discovery is of great magnitude for what it will reveal of this Medieval society and culture.
It was a 55-year-old unemployed man named Terry Herbert who made the discovery on farmland on July 5, 2009. As The Telegraph reports, he had been searching for treasure for eighteen years before making the astonishing discovery.
The Staffordshire Hoard as it has been dubbed is the largest such discovery in history. It contains more than 1,300 items, which collectively have a total weight of 5kg of gold and 1.3kg of silver. Potentially there may be as many as 1,500 items in total. The items are predominately military, including decorative fittings from swords and helmets, or fragments thereof.
Photos of what was found within this hoard of Anglo-Saxon treasure can be seen here. More pictures can be seen in the videos below.
In the above cited article from The Telegraph, Terry Herbert is interviewed, sharing his reflections upon having made such a tremendous, and surprising discovery.
“People laugh at metal detectorists. I’ve had people go past and go ‘Beep beep, he’s after pennies. Well no, we are out there to find this kind of stuff and it is out there. This is what metal detectorists dream of, finding stuff like this. But the vast amount there is, is just unbelievable.”
The newspaper goes on to note that under the Treasure Act 1996, Herbert will split the profits from the sale of these items to museums equally with Fred Johnson, who is the landowner.
The total worth of the hoard has not been determined yet. Presently, it is housed at the Birmingham Museum & Art Gallery. According to the local newspaper, it was Duncan Slarke, of the Portable Antiquities Scheme whom Terry Herbert first contacted when he realized the magnitude of the discovery. He, along with a team of eight professionals from Birmingham Archeology undertook excavation of the hoard, via a £25,000 grant from English Heritage and Staffordshire County Council.
An article in the Independent takes a look at the historical significance of the finding and what it may reveal about the Medieval culture of the Anglo-Saxons, particularly as pertains to the military elite, and can be seen here.
That is the latest news on an astonishing discovery of Anglo-Saxon treasure in Staffordshire, England; the largest such discovery in history.
