Staffordshire Hoard
The Treasure of Staffordshire is a hoard of the early Middle Ages.
The discovery of the find, which consists of more than 3500 individual pieces and includes, among other objects of gold with a total weight of more than five kilograms, was announced on 24 September 2009. Then the treasure of Staffordshire is the largest ever to light Come hoard of Anglo -Saxon times. He is probably to be dated to the 7th century AD.
Discovery
The find was not recovered at an archaeological dig, but from detectorists Terry Herbert, who was looking near Lichfield on a friendly farmer's field, where he found the treasure on July 5, 2009. He alerted the local historic preservation, and within the locality an excavation was conducted. Selected pieces of treasure were issued in September 2009 for a short time in the British Museum. The Fund was established by local authorities to the treasure ( Treasure trove ) explains and thereby automatically become the property of the Crown. The discoverer and the landowners have but to claim any compensation, which is estimated at over one million pounds.
In November 2012 further 91 artefacts were found about 100 meters from the find site of the first objects of a team of archaeologists. 81 of these objects of various sizes have also been declared a treasure because they are older than 300 years and have a precious metal content of about 10%.
Finds
There are approximately 3,900 items, including numerous objects made of gold and silver, but also copper objects. Among the finds are finely worked silver and gold issues of swords and daggers, parts of ceremonial helmets and two crosses. Many objects are provided with animal style ornaments also Almandineinlagen before coming.
Another object is a narrow strip of gold with a Latin inscription from the Book of Numbers (Num 10,35 EU): "surge d [ omi ] ne [ et ] disepentur inimici tui et Fugent qui te a facie tua oderunt " ( Arise Lord, then scatter your enemies, / then flee your enemies before you. ).
Most other finds have a military background, and the gold strip could have been attached to a shield or sword belt. There are no objects that were used by women.
The finds were cataloged and restored in London and the British Museum are now in " The Potteries Museum and Art Gallery " in Stoke -on-Trent and the " Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery " exhibited in Birmingham.
Importance
The Fund was compared to a rediscovery of the Lindisfarne Gospels or Book of Kells. Historians expect from the treasure lessons learned the view will change as radically or even more on the Anglo-Saxon England as the discovery of Sutton Hoo.
The initial discovery of the treasure was taken after the field had been plowed, so that there is no information as to whether the objects were originally buried in a trench or a hole. It lacks any context which could explain why the treasure was buried at this location. There are suspicions that they are offerings to a shrine or other sacred place where the goods were not buried at the same time.