Local History

July 2009 was the month when archaeologists from all over the world were falling over themselves with excitement, about an unprecedented collection of Anglo Saxon gold found in a farmers' field in Staffordshire near Tamworth.

Called the Staffordshire Hoard, it had more than 1,500 items, made of gold and silver, and embedded with precious stones.

After the Staffordshire Coroner ruled in September 2009 that the find was the 'property of the Crown', arrangements were made for it to go on display for a short period at Birmingham Museum. It was on display at the British Museum in London from November 3rd.

Coming back to Staffordshire!

It's been announced that 80 of the finest pieces from the Staffordshire Hoard will be put on display in the Potteries Museum and Art Gallery, in Stoke-on-Trent in early 2010. It is thought the exhibition will take place in February and last for around 20 days.

Metal Detector man

Terry Herbert, from Burntwood in Staffordshire, 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.

He's been metal detecting for 18 years as a member of the Bloxwich Research and Metal Detecting Club. Their secretary Jim Wall told BBC WM, "I'm really pleased for him. It's fantastic he's recovered it for the nation to look at, and wonder at."

Terry will be entitled to millions of pounds for finding the treasure, as will farmer Fred Johnson whose land near Lichfield was where the hoard was found.

He told BBC Midlands Today. "Terry came in very excited and said I have found a Saxon hoard. It's better than winning the lottery! I told him not to be so bloody daft."

"But when I went to have a look, I could see they were bringing up some really fantastic stuff, really incredible workmanship."

About the Hoard

Most of the items appear to date from the seventh century, and historical experts say the quality and intricacy of the craftsmanship indicates many of the pieces were owned by royalty or noblemen.

The vast majority of the items were warfare related, including helmets, swords, and crests worn on clothing in battle.

The hoard also includes a strip of gold which bears a biblical inscription in Latin. It quotes chapter 10 verse 35 of the Book of Numbers: "Rise up, O Lord, and may thy enemies be dispersed and those who hate thee be driven from thy face".

There are also three gold crosses which have been folded, possibly to fit into a small space prior to burial.

Dr Kevin Leahy

Truly remarkable

Dr Kevin Leahy, who has been cataloguing the Hoard for the Portable Antiquities Scheme, said it was "a truly remarkable collection".

He told BBC Radio Stoke, "I've been losing sleep over it - it's astonishing! The feeling of those archeologists who've seen is awe. We've actually been scared by  the responsibility of dealing with this material."

"We always knew Mercia (the Anglo-Saxon kingdom area where Staffordshire is) was important. Great kings like Penda, Wulfhere and Ethelred were here, but until now we had no archeological evidence to back this up, and then this lot comes up. It really does turn the lights on to what was going on in the Midlands at that time."

Dr Gareth Williams is a curator at the British Museum, and told BBC Radio Stoke that the find would fill in some gaps in what we know about Anglo-Saxon history.

"We can see that someone very, very wealthy has possessed this hoard, and that they must've taken some of the items away from other extremely wealthy people," he said.

"It's the product of one or more raids against neighbours, and fits into a period and culture of warfare and violence."

On display

Some of the collection initially went on display in October 2009 at the Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery, with the rest placed in secure storage. More than 10 thousand people came to see the treasure in the first couple of weeks it was exhibited.

A Treasure Valuation Committee made up of independent experts valued the find in mid October and November 2009.

Staffordshire County Council have teamed up with Stoke-on-Trent and Birmingham City Councils to raise the money to buy it to keep it on display in the Midlands.

You can see more on this story - relating to 'where will the Hoard be housed?' - by clicking on the link to the article below.