A treasure hunter has unearthed the largest hoard of Anglo-Saxon gold ever
found, in a find archaeologists have said may be even more significant than
the discovery of a burial ship at Sutton Hoo 70 years ago.
Terry Herbert, from Burntwood, Staffordshire, came across the hoard as he
searched a field near his home with his trusty 14-year-old metal detector
Experts said the collection of more than 1,500 pieces
is unparalleled in
size and may have belonged to Saxon royalty
The hoard, believed to date back to the Seventh Century, contains around 5kg
of gold and 2.5kg of silver, far bigger than previous finds - including the
Sutton Hoo site
Experts are piecing together what they believe are parts from several
splendidly decorated helmets, including what appears to be a cheek-piece
with a frieze of running animals. It has a relatively low gold content and
has been specially alloyed, probably to make it more functional and able to
withstand blows
No comments:
Post a Comment