STAFFORDSHIRE HOARD 265
O
ne summer’s day in July
2009, metal detectorist Terry
Herbert set out across the
Staffordshire countryside near
Hammerwich, UK, with permission from
local farmer Fred Johnson to search his
fields. By the end of the day, Herbert had
uncovered thousands of richly decorated
gold and silver fragments.
Buried less than a finger’s depth below
the soil, the finely wrought metal pieces
were later identified by archaeologists
at Birmingham University as the world’s
largest hoard of Anglo-Saxon gold. Herbert
and Johnson sold the find to museums in
Birmingham and Stoke-on-Trent for £3.3
million (around US$5 million), splitting the
proceeds between them. Excavation of
the site in 2012 revealed another batch of
fragments, bringing the total to more than
4,000 remnants of the armour, weapons,
and battle dress of
Anglo-Saxon men.
Conservationists
have assembled
more than 80 sword pommels (the
counterweight at the end of a sword’s
handle). One of the most significant items in
the hoard is a silver Anglo-Saxon warrior’s
helmet, one of only five in Britain. Its
re-creation involved assembling 1,500 scraps
of silver-gilt foil, many measuring less than
1cm (around ¼in) across. The Staffordshire
hoard displays an extraordinary level of
craftsmanship, featuring fine threads of gold
wound into tight coils and used to make
swirling filigree patterns. Other pieces are
inlaid with red garnet, and blue Roman and
Saxon glass. Museum conservationists
have dubbed the hoard “warrior bling”.
Key dates
5th century CE–2013
400
700
800
2000
5th century CE
Anglo-Saxons from north-
western Europe invade
Great Britain and settle
November 2009
The hoard is sent to
the British Museum
March 2010 Fundraising
is completed, and the
hoard is bought from
Herbert and Johnson
2013 A three-year touring
exhibition is launched across
the West Midlands
2012
2015
2009
Rise up, O Lord, and
may thy enemies be
scattered and those
who hate thee be
driven from thy face
Biblical inscription
On a silver-gilt strip in the hoard (translated from Latin)
Staffordshire hoard
Gold hilt collar from a sword, featuring detailed
decoration consisting of fine gold strands wound
into coils and set in knotwork patterns
Gold relic from the
hoard with cloisonné and
garnet decoration
△ Gold and garnet ornament from a larger item
November 2012
A second batch of
fragments is found
close to the original site
January 2010
A nationwide appeal is
launched to purchase
the hoard for the nation
July–August 2009
Gold and silver fragments
are found by Terry Herbert
near Hammerwich, England.
The site is excavated by the
University of Birmingham’s
Archaeology Department
September 2009
Part of the hoard goes
on display at Birmingham
Museum and Art Gallery
Anglo-Saxon helmet,
c.7th century CE
7th–8th centuries CE
Anglo-Saxon metal
workshops produce
beautifully decorated
military wear
Birmingham Museum
and Art Gallery
2010
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