The Staffordshire Hoard

This hoard is perhaps the most important collection of Anglo-Saxon objects found in England. It compares and perhaps exceeds those objects found at Sutton Hoo. Originally discovered by metal detectorist Terry Herbert in July 2009 and subsequently excavated by Birmingham University Archaeology Unit and Staffordshire County Council.

Leslie Webster, former Keeper of Prehistory and Europe at the British Museum describes this discovery as:

"...this is going to alter our perceptions of Anglo-Saxon England in the seventh and early eighth century as radically, if not moreso, as the 1939 Sutton Hoo discoveries did; it will make historians and literary scholars review what their sources tell us, and archaeologists and art-historians rethink the chronology of metalwork and manuscripts; and it will make us all think again about rising (and failing) kingdoms and the expression of regional identities in this period, the complicated transition from paganism to Christianity, the conduct of battle and the nature of fine metalwork production - to name only a few of the many huge issues it raises. Absolutely the metalwork equivalent of finding a new Lindisfarne Gospels or Book of Kells."

The images contained in this set invite comment. We accept there may be some errors with labelling as this was done in a very short space of time. If you do use these images please attribute as used courtesy of the Staffordshire hoard website.


For more information:
www.staffordshirehoard.org.uk and www.finds.org.uk The entire hoard will be catalogued on our database in due course and made available to the public.

The press quality photos are by Dave Rowan and Daniel Buxton under the aegis of Birmingham Museums and Art Gallery.
Digital x-ray images of soil blocks provided by National Conservation Centre, National Museums Liverpool.

Some of the photos maybe mis-attributed, or lacking photographic attribution. Please send us a message if there are problems.

659 photos, 1 video | 179,546 views

items are from between 24 Jul 2009 & 15 Sep 2009.