England: Gold Treasure Found in Field

This is thought to be the largest Anglo-Saxon treasure ever found in the world.

The collection of 1,500 gold and silver items is far bigger than any of the previous finds, including one in 1939 which contained priceless royal treasures.

Archaeologists say the hoard found in Staffordshire, central England, is unparalleled.

[Kevin Leahy, Archaelogist and Advisor, U.K. Portable Antiques Scheme]:
„Incredible collection of material, absolutely unprecedented. We’ve been asked : ‚Is this the largest hoard of Anglo-Saxon goldwork ever found in this country?‘ Really, it’s the only one we’ve ever found. We’ve moved into new ground with this material.“

Amateur treasure-hunter, Terry Herbert, unearthed the gold artefacts from a farmer’s field last July using his metal detector.

Archaeologists shot this video as they excavated the site later on.

Much of it was lying close to the surface or even scattered on top of the ploughed soil.

The collection is thought to date back to at least the seventh century. Some experts believe it may have been buried by a Saxon king for safe-keeping in the ancient Kingdom of Mercia.

The collection has been officially declared as treasure trove, making it property of the state.

Museums will be given the opportunity to bid after it has been valued by an official committee.

Terry and the landowner will be allowed to share the proceeds between themselves.

[Terry Herbert, Metal Detectorist]:
„It’s been more fun than winning the lottery. Stuff like this is still in the ground. Is there anything better than this to be found?“

The collection is expected to be worth millions of pounds but to many archaeologists, it will always be priceless.

(NTDTV)