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Whenever I see a metal detectorist on Porty Beach, the old Calvin and Hobbes comic about digging for hidden loot always comes to my mind, "there's treasure everywhere!"
Metaldetectorist-scape. Winnall in Winchester last Sunday :)
#winchester #landscape #hampshire #wow #metaldeterting #olympus #olympusUK
Whenever I see a metal detectorist on Porty Beach, the old Calvin and Hobbes comic about digging for hidden loot always comes to my mind, "there's treasure everywhere!"
The Medieval Section is endebted to Kat Baxter, Curator of Archaeology and Numismatics at Leeds Museums and Galleries, for speaking to us in November and for providing photographs of some of the very handsome Medieval treasure objects from the West Yorkshire hoard. Kat began her talk by giving an overview of Leeds Museums and Galleries and by telling us about the development of Treasure legislation. The success of the Treasure law can be seen in the fact that before 1997 26 finds per year were found to be treasure but in 2011 970 cases were reported as treasure – 95% of them found by metal-detectorists.
The story of the West Yorkshire hoard began when the Finds Liaison Officer for West Yorkshire sent Kat some photographs in 2008 asking if she might be interested in the objects. At this point five objects had been discovered. A rescue excavation was organised to see if there were any other pieces from the hoard still in the ground. A further two items were recovered by the metal-detectorist on a return visit to the site. The objects included a very fine 10th century gold and garnet ring, a 9th century niello ring, two filigree rings, a fragment of a 7th century cloisonne brooch, a piece of gold ingot or hack gold, and a lead spindle whorl.
The 10th century gold and garnet ring is particularly fine and has not suffered any wear. It has an enlarged stepped bezel and is decorated with granulations of gold beads. The garnet looks too small for its dog tooth setting – either this garnet is a replacement or it has sunk as its mount has degraded.The gold content of the ring is very high. The back of the ring has a twisted hoop of gold wire with decorative terminals. It is so fine it may have belonged to a bishop. It certainly belonged to someone of high status.
The 9th century niello ring is a different kind of ring. It may have been worn over the gloves. It has four large oval panels decorated with leaf or zoomorphic motifs picked out in niello (a black mixture of copper, silver, and lead sulphides used as an inlay). It has suffered a lot of wear.
The filigree ring is smaller and thinner and of lower gold content. It is decorated with filigree and granulation. It is not symmetrical and though a beautiful piece of jewellery it is not of the same quality as the piece described earlier.
The cloisonne brooch or pendant fragment is the earliest item in the hoard and dates from the 7th century. It has cells for inlays such as garnets but these have been hacked on one side and torn or bent out of shape. It would have been a stunning high class object when complete.
The second set of objects from the hoard consist of a another high quality ring with a high gold content with granular decoration. The ring appears to have a hollow bezzle and although it rattles when shaken nothing shows up on x-rays. the ring may have been an ecclesiastical ring owned by someone of high status. Like the earlier ring it shows no wear and appears to be brand new.
The last object is a lead spindle whorl and at present it is not clear why this was included in the hoard of gold objects. Two of the rings are of the highest quality known from Anglo-Saxon England. However, the rings cover a considerable period of time (the brooch has been dated to the 7th century, the rings are later, perhaps between the 9th and 11th centuries). It has been suggested they may have been part of a thief’s stash and that the hoard was consumed little by little, the individual pieces hacked up and semi-precious stones chiselled out. It is interesting that another fine ring was found between Aberford and Sherburn in 1870. It is clear that in the 10th century there were some affluent individuals living in the vicinity of Leeds. It may be that some of the rings have ecclesiastical associations. It is unusual not to find any coins with the hoard. The hoard is important because it is the only Anglo-Saxon hoard found of this quality in the area. As such it is an important addition to local history. Certainly it raises more questions than it answers; why do the rings range so much in date, and why were they buried in a field?
The hoard took three years to go through the Treasure process and after being valued at just under £172,000 four months were allowed to raise the money needed to reimburse the finder, as is usual in cases of Treasure. The National Heritage Memorial Fund and the Art Fund made generous grants. The Headley Trust usually only makes a contribution if a Victoria and Albert Museum grant has been made but the latter had already been exhausted and the Headley Trust kindly made a grant award regardless. Further sums of money were given by Leeds Museums and Galleries, Leeds Philosophical and Literary Society, the Friends of Leeds Museums and Galleries, and the Goldsmiths’ Company. The remaining money was raised by a public appeal and the hoard was secured for Leeds. The objects went straight on display in the Leeds City Museum, and a brand new display about the hoard, partly funded by the Art Fund, will be going up this Spring.
Booty from Elmet?
I am very grateful to Kat Baxter, Curator of Archaeology at Leeds Museums and Galleries, for allowing me to reproduce the beautiful photo of a brooch fragment from the Leeds or West Yorkshire Ring Hoard. The hoard was found by a metal-detectorist in 2008 and 2009, and Kat has worked very hard to fund-raise the money needed to acquire the hoard for Leeds. The brooch fragment is one of a number of pieces of jewellery, mostly rings that are later in date than this brooch fragment, and a piece of gold ingot.
A short account of the West Yorkshire Hoard was recently published in Mary-Ann Ochota’s Britain’s Secret Treasures (Headline Publishing, 2013: pp.252-3) from which I taken these details. The brooch fragment has been dated to the 600s AD, like the Staffordshire Hoard but the finger rings seem to date from between 800 and 1000 AD. Further investigation of the location where the hoard was discovered didn’t yield any conclusive results.
The brooch fragment, it is said, would have been an antique when it went into the ground. This is speculating wildly but is it conceivable that one possible explanation for the presence of the brooch fragment is that it was a piece of plunder associated with the Kingdom of Elmet? Could it be a piece of that high status material culture that either belonged to an important member of Elmetian society or had been brought back to Elmet as plunder? Of course the material could have been brought in from elsewhere and have no particular connection with the West Riding apart from being found here. We can’t possibly know but it is tempting to speculate in an idle moment and it is a very interesting set of objects.
The Medieval Section is endebted to Kat Baxter, Curator of Archaeology and Numismatics at Leeds Museums and Galleries, for speaking to us in November and for providing photographs of some of the very handsome Medieval treasure objects from the West Yorkshire hoard. Kat began her talk by giving an overview of Leeds Museums and Galleries and by telling us about the development of Treasure legislation. The success of the Treasure law can be seen in the fact that before 1997 26 finds per year were found to be treasure but in 2011 970 cases were reported as treasure – 95% of them found by metal-detectorists.
The story of the West Yorkshire hoard began when the Finds Liaison Officer for West Yorkshire sent Kat some photographs in 2008 asking if she might be interested in the objects. At this point five objects had been discovered. A rescue excavation was organised to see if there were any other pieces from the hoard still in the ground. A further two items were recovered by the metal-detectorist on a return visit to the site. The objects included a very fine 10th century gold and garnet ring, a 9th century niello ring, two filigree rings, a fragment of a 7th century cloisonne brooch, a piece of gold ingot or hack gold, and a lead spindle whorl.
The 10th century gold and garnet ring is particularly fine and has not suffered any wear. It has an enlarged stepped bezel and is decorated with granulations of gold beads. The garnet looks too small for its dog tooth setting – either this garnet is a replacement or it has sunk as its mount has degraded.The gold content of the ring is very high. The back of the ring has a twisted hoop of gold wire with decorative terminals. It is so fine it may have belonged to a bishop. It certainly belonged to someone of high status.
The 9th century niello ring is a different kind of ring. It may have been worn over the gloves. It has four large oval panels decorated with leaf or zoomorphic motifs picked out in niello (a black mixture of copper, silver, and lead sulphides used as an inlay). It has suffered a lot of wear.
The filigree ring is smaller and thinner and of lower gold content. It is decorated with filigree and granulation. It is not symmetrical and though a beautiful piece of jewellery it is not of the same quality as the piece described earlier.
The cloisonne brooch or pendant fragment is the earliest item in the hoard and dates from the 7th century. It has cells for inlays such as garnets but these have been hacked on one side and torn or bent out of shape. It would have been a stunning high class object when complete.
The second set of objects from the hoard consist of a another high quality ring with a high gold content with granular decoration. The ring appears to have a hollow bezzle and although it rattles when shaken nothing shows up on x-rays. the ring may have been an ecclesiastical ring owned by someone of high status. Like the earlier ring it shows no wear and appears to be brand new.
The last object is a lead spindle whorl and at present it is not clear why this was included in the hoard of gold objects. Two of the rings are of the highest quality known from Anglo-Saxon England. However, the rings cover a considerable period of time (the brooch has been dated to the 7th century, the rings are later, perhaps between the 9th and 11th centuries). It has been suggested they may have been part of a thief’s stash and that the hoard was consumed little by little, the individual pieces hacked up and semi-precious stones chiselled out. It is interesting that another fine ring was found between Aberford and Sherburn in 1870. It is clear that in the 10th century there were some affluent individuals living in the vicinity of Leeds. It may be that some of the rings have ecclesiastical associations. It is unusual not to find any coins with the hoard. The hoard is important because it is the only Anglo-Saxon hoard found of this quality in the area. As such it is an important addition to local history. Certainly it raises more questions than it answers; why do the rings range so much in date, and why were they buried in a field?
The hoard took three years to go through the Treasure process and after being valued at just under £172,000 four months were allowed to raise the money needed to reimburse the finder, as is usual in cases of Treasure. The National Heritage Memorial Fund and the Art Fund made generous grants. The Headley Trust usually only makes a contribution if a Victoria and Albert Museum grant has been made but the latter had already been exhausted and the Headley Trust kindly made a grant award regardless. Further sums of money were given by Leeds Museums and Galleries, Leeds Philosophical and Literary Society, the Friends of Leeds Museums and Galleries, and the Goldsmiths’ Company. The remaining money was raised by a public appeal and the hoard was secured for Leeds. The objects went straight on display in the Leeds City Museum, and a brand new display about the hoard, partly funded by the Art Fund, will be going up this Spring.
Booty from Elmet?
I am very grateful to Kat Baxter, Curator of Archaeology at Leeds Museums and Galleries, for allowing me to reproduce the beautiful photo of a brooch fragment from the Leeds or West Yorkshire Ring Hoard. The hoard was found by a metal-detectorist in 2008 and 2009, and Kat has worked very hard to fund-raise the money needed to acquire the hoard for Leeds. The brooch fragment is one of a number of pieces of jewellery, mostly rings that are later in date than this brooch fragment, and a piece of gold ingot.
A short account of the West Yorkshire Hoard was recently published in Mary-Ann Ochota’s Britain’s Secret Treasures (Headline Publishing, 2013: pp.252-3) from which I taken these details. The brooch fragment has been dated to the 600s AD, like the Staffordshire Hoard but the finger rings seem to date from between 800 and 1000 AD. Further investigation of the location where the hoard was discovered didn’t yield any conclusive results.
The brooch fragment, it is said, would have been an antique when it went into the ground. This is speculating wildly but is it conceivable that one possible explanation for the presence of the brooch fragment is that it was a piece of plunder associated with the Kingdom of Elmet? Could it be a piece of that high status material culture that either belonged to an important member of Elmetian society or had been brought back to Elmet as plunder? Of course the material could have been brought in from elsewhere and have no particular connection with the West Riding apart from being found here. We can’t possibly know but it is tempting to speculate in an idle moment and it is a very interesting set of objects.
The Medieval Section is endebted to Kat Baxter, Curator of Archaeology and Numismatics at Leeds Museums and Galleries, for speaking to us in November and for providing photographs of some of the very handsome Medieval treasure objects from the West Yorkshire hoard. Kat began her talk by giving an overview of Leeds Museums and Galleries and by telling us about the development of Treasure legislation. The success of the Treasure law can be seen in the fact that before 1997 26 finds per year were found to be treasure but in 2011 970 cases were reported as treasure – 95% of them found by metal-detectorists.
The story of the West Yorkshire hoard began when the Finds Liaison Officer for West Yorkshire sent Kat some photographs in 2008 asking if she might be interested in the objects. At this point five objects had been discovered. A rescue excavation was organised to see if there were any other pieces from the hoard still in the ground. A further two items were recovered by the metal-detectorist on a return visit to the site. The objects included a very fine 10th century gold and garnet ring, a 9th century niello ring, two filigree rings, a fragment of a 7th century cloisonne brooch, a piece of gold ingot or hack gold, and a lead spindle whorl.
The 10th century gold and garnet ring is particularly fine and has not suffered any wear. It has an enlarged stepped bezel and is decorated with granulations of gold beads. The garnet looks too small for its dog tooth setting – either this garnet is a replacement or it has sunk as its mount has degraded.The gold content of the ring is very high. The back of the ring has a twisted hoop of gold wire with decorative terminals. It is so fine it may have belonged to a bishop. It certainly belonged to someone of high status.
The 9th century niello ring is a different kind of ring. It may have been worn over the gloves. It has four large oval panels decorated with leaf or zoomorphic motifs picked out in niello (a black mixture of copper, silver, and lead sulphides used as an inlay). It has suffered a lot of wear.
The filigree ring is smaller and thinner and of lower gold content. It is decorated with filigree and granulation. It is not symmetrical and though a beautiful piece of jewellery it is not of the same quality as the piece described earlier.
The cloisonne brooch or pendant fragment is the earliest item in the hoard and dates from the 7th century. It has cells for inlays such as garnets but these have been hacked on one side and torn or bent out of shape. It would have been a stunning high class object when complete.
The second set of objects from the hoard consist of a another high quality ring with a high gold content with granular decoration. The ring appears to have a hollow bezzle and although it rattles when shaken nothing shows up on x-rays. the ring may have been an ecclesiastical ring owned by someone of high status. Like the earlier ring it shows no wear and appears to be brand new.
The last object is a lead spindle whorl and at present it is not clear why this was included in the hoard of gold objects. Two of the rings are of the highest quality known from Anglo-Saxon England. However, the rings cover a considerable period of time (the brooch has been dated to the 7th century, the rings are later, perhaps between the 9th and 11th centuries). It has been suggested they may have been part of a thief’s stash and that the hoard was consumed little by little, the individual pieces hacked up and semi-precious stones chiselled out. It is interesting that another fine ring was found between Aberford and Sherburn in 1870. It is clear that in the 10th century there were some affluent individuals living in the vicinity of Leeds. It may be that some of the rings have ecclesiastical associations. It is unusual not to find any coins with the hoard. The hoard is important because it is the only Anglo-Saxon hoard found of this quality in the area. As such it is an important addition to local history. Certainly it raises more questions than it answers; why do the rings range so much in date, and why were they buried in a field?
The hoard took three years to go through the Treasure process and after being valued at just under £172,000 four months were allowed to raise the money needed to reimburse the finder, as is usual in cases of Treasure. The National Heritage Memorial Fund and the Art Fund made generous grants. The Headley Trust usually only makes a contribution if a Victoria and Albert Museum grant has been made but the latter had already been exhausted and the Headley Trust kindly made a grant award regardless. Further sums of money were given by Leeds Museums and Galleries, Leeds Philosophical and Literary Society, the Friends of Leeds Museums and Galleries, and the Goldsmiths’ Company. The remaining money was raised by a public appeal and the hoard was secured for Leeds. The objects went straight on display in the Leeds City Museum, and a brand new display about the hoard, partly funded by the Art Fund, will be going up this Spring.
Booty from Elmet?
I am very grateful to Kat Baxter, Curator of Archaeology at Leeds Museums and Galleries, for allowing me to reproduce the beautiful photo of a brooch fragment from the Leeds or West Yorkshire Ring Hoard. The hoard was found by a metal-detectorist in 2008 and 2009, and Kat has worked very hard to fund-raise the money needed to acquire the hoard for Leeds. The brooch fragment is one of a number of pieces of jewellery, mostly rings that are later in date than this brooch fragment, and a piece of gold ingot.
A short account of the West Yorkshire Hoard was recently published in Mary-Ann Ochota’s Britain’s Secret Treasures (Headline Publishing, 2013: pp.252-3) from which I taken these details. The brooch fragment has been dated to the 600s AD, like the Staffordshire Hoard but the finger rings seem to date from between 800 and 1000 AD. Further investigation of the location where the hoard was discovered didn’t yield any conclusive results.
The brooch fragment, it is said, would have been an antique when it went into the ground. This is speculating wildly but is it conceivable that one possible explanation for the presence of the brooch fragment is that it was a piece of plunder associated with the Kingdom of Elmet? Could it be a piece of that high status material culture that either belonged to an important member of Elmetian society or had been brought back to Elmet as plunder? Of course the material could have been brought in from elsewhere and have no particular connection with the West Riding apart from being found here. We can’t possibly know but it is tempting to speculate in an idle moment and it is a very interesting set of objects.
As they said in Calin and Hobbes, "there's treasure everywhere!" Metal detectorist on the beach at Musselburgh near the harbour. No sign of buried pirate treasure yet though.
The Medieval Section is endebted to Kat Baxter, Curator of Archaeology and Numismatics at Leeds Museums and Galleries, for speaking to us in November and for providing photographs of some of the very handsome Medieval treasure objects from the West Yorkshire hoard. Kat began her talk by giving an overview of Leeds Museums and Galleries and by telling us about the development of Treasure legislation. The success of the Treasure law can be seen in the fact that before 1997 26 finds per year were found to be treasure but in 2011 970 cases were reported as treasure – 95% of them found by metal-detectorists.
The story of the West Yorkshire hoard began when the Finds Liaison Officer for West Yorkshire sent Kat some photographs in 2008 asking if she might be interested in the objects. At this point five objects had been discovered. A rescue excavation was organised to see if there were any other pieces from the hoard still in the ground. A further two items were recovered by the metal-detectorist on a return visit to the site. The objects included a very fine 10th century gold and garnet ring, a 9th century niello ring, two filigree rings, a fragment of a 7th century cloisonne brooch, a piece of gold ingot or hack gold, and a lead spindle whorl.
The 10th century gold and garnet ring is particularly fine and has not suffered any wear. It has an enlarged stepped bezel and is decorated with granulations of gold beads. The garnet looks too small for its dog tooth setting – either this garnet is a replacement or it has sunk as its mount has degraded.The gold content of the ring is very high. The back of the ring has a twisted hoop of gold wire with decorative terminals. It is so fine it may have belonged to a bishop. It certainly belonged to someone of high status.
The 9th century niello ring is a different kind of ring. It may have been worn over the gloves. It has four large oval panels decorated with leaf or zoomorphic motifs picked out in niello (a black mixture of copper, silver, and lead sulphides used as an inlay). It has suffered a lot of wear.
The filigree ring is smaller and thinner and of lower gold content. It is decorated with filigree and granulation. It is not symmetrical and though a beautiful piece of jewellery it is not of the same quality as the piece described earlier.
The cloisonne brooch or pendant fragment is the earliest item in the hoard and dates from the 7th century. It has cells for inlays such as garnets but these have been hacked on one side and torn or bent out of shape. It would have been a stunning high class object when complete.
The second set of objects from the hoard consist of a another high quality ring with a high gold content with granular decoration. The ring appears to have a hollow bezzle and although it rattles when shaken nothing shows up on x-rays. the ring may have been an ecclesiastical ring owned by someone of high status. Like the earlier ring it shows no wear and appears to be brand new.
The last object is a lead spindle whorl and at present it is not clear why this was included in the hoard of gold objects. Two of the rings are of the highest quality known from Anglo-Saxon England. However, the rings cover a considerable period of time (the brooch has been dated to the 7th century, the rings are later, perhaps between the 9th and 11th centuries). It has been suggested they may have been part of a thief’s stash and that the hoard was consumed little by little, the individual pieces hacked up and semi-precious stones chiselled out. It is interesting that another fine ring was found between Aberford and Sherburn in 1870. It is clear that in the 10th century there were some affluent individuals living in the vicinity of Leeds. It may be that some of the rings have ecclesiastical associations. It is unusual not to find any coins with the hoard. The hoard is important because it is the only Anglo-Saxon hoard found of this quality in the area. As such it is an important addition to local history. Certainly it raises more questions than it answers; why do the rings range so much in date, and why were they buried in a field?
The hoard took three years to go through the Treasure process and after being valued at just under £172,000 four months were allowed to raise the money needed to reimburse the finder, as is usual in cases of Treasure. The National Heritage Memorial Fund and the Art Fund made generous grants. The Headley Trust usually only makes a contribution if a Victoria and Albert Museum grant has been made but the latter had already been exhausted and the Headley Trust kindly made a grant award regardless. Further sums of money were given by Leeds Museums and Galleries, Leeds Philosophical and Literary Society, the Friends of Leeds Museums and Galleries, and the Goldsmiths’ Company. The remaining money was raised by a public appeal and the hoard was secured for Leeds. The objects went straight on display in the Leeds City Museum, and a brand new display about the hoard, partly funded by the Art Fund, will be going up this Spring.
Booty from Elmet?
I am very grateful to Kat Baxter, Curator of Archaeology at Leeds Museums and Galleries, for allowing me to reproduce the beautiful photo of a brooch fragment from the Leeds or West Yorkshire Ring Hoard. The hoard was found by a metal-detectorist in 2008 and 2009, and Kat has worked very hard to fund-raise the money needed to acquire the hoard for Leeds. The brooch fragment is one of a number of pieces of jewellery, mostly rings that are later in date than this brooch fragment, and a piece of gold ingot.
A short account of the West Yorkshire Hoard was recently published in Mary-Ann Ochota’s Britain’s Secret Treasures (Headline Publishing, 2013: pp.252-3) from which I taken these details. The brooch fragment has been dated to the 600s AD, like the Staffordshire Hoard but the finger rings seem to date from between 800 and 1000 AD. Further investigation of the location where the hoard was discovered didn’t yield any conclusive results.
The brooch fragment, it is said, would have been an antique when it went into the ground. This is speculating wildly but is it conceivable that one possible explanation for the presence of the brooch fragment is that it was a piece of plunder associated with the Kingdom of Elmet? Could it be a piece of that high status material culture that either belonged to an important member of Elmetian society or had been brought back to Elmet as plunder? Of course the material could have been brought in from elsewhere and have no particular connection with the West Riding apart from being found here. We can’t possibly know but it is tempting to speculate in an idle moment and it is a very interesting set of objects.
The Medieval Section is endebted to Kat Baxter, Curator of Archaeology and Numismatics at Leeds Museums and Galleries, for speaking to us in November and for providing photographs of some of the very handsome Medieval treasure objects from the West Yorkshire hoard. Kat began her talk by giving an overview of Leeds Museums and Galleries and by telling us about the development of Treasure legislation. The success of the Treasure law can be seen in the fact that before 1997 26 finds per year were found to be treasure but in 2011 970 cases were reported as treasure – 95% of them found by metal-detectorists.
The story of the West Yorkshire hoard began when the Finds Liaison Officer for West Yorkshire sent Kat some photographs in 2008 asking if she might be interested in the objects. At this point five objects had been discovered. A rescue excavation was organised to see if there were any other pieces from the hoard still in the ground. A further two items were recovered by the metal-detectorist on a return visit to the site. The objects included a very fine 10th century gold and garnet ring, a 9th century niello ring, two filigree rings, a fragment of a 7th century cloisonne brooch, a piece of gold ingot or hack gold, and a lead spindle whorl.
The 10th century gold and garnet ring is particularly fine and has not suffered any wear. It has an enlarged stepped bezel and is decorated with granulations of gold beads. The garnet looks too small for its dog tooth setting – either this garnet is a replacement or it has sunk as its mount has degraded.The gold content of the ring is very high. The back of the ring has a twisted hoop of gold wire with decorative terminals. It is so fine it may have belonged to a bishop. It certainly belonged to someone of high status.
The 9th century niello ring is a different kind of ring. It may have been worn over the gloves. It has four large oval panels decorated with leaf or zoomorphic motifs picked out in niello (a black mixture of copper, silver, and lead sulphides used as an inlay). It has suffered a lot of wear.
The filigree ring is smaller and thinner and of lower gold content. It is decorated with filigree and granulation. It is not symmetrical and though a beautiful piece of jewellery it is not of the same quality as the piece described earlier.
The cloisonne brooch or pendant fragment is the earliest item in the hoard and dates from the 7th century. It has cells for inlays such as garnets but these have been hacked on one side and torn or bent out of shape. It would have been a stunning high class object when complete.
The second set of objects from the hoard consist of a another high quality ring with a high gold content with granular decoration. The ring appears to have a hollow bezzle and although it rattles when shaken nothing shows up on x-rays. the ring may have been an ecclesiastical ring owned by someone of high status. Like the earlier ring it shows no wear and appears to be brand new.
The last object is a lead spindle whorl and at present it is not clear why this was included in the hoard of gold objects. Two of the rings are of the highest quality known from Anglo-Saxon England. However, the rings cover a considerable period of time (the brooch has been dated to the 7th century, the rings are later, perhaps between the 9th and 11th centuries). It has been suggested they may have been part of a thief’s stash and that the hoard was consumed little by little, the individual pieces hacked up and semi-precious stones chiselled out. It is interesting that another fine ring was found between Aberford and Sherburn in 1870. It is clear that in the 10th century there were some affluent individuals living in the vicinity of Leeds. It may be that some of the rings have ecclesiastical associations. It is unusual not to find any coins with the hoard. The hoard is important because it is the only Anglo-Saxon hoard found of this quality in the area. As such it is an important addition to local history. Certainly it raises more questions than it answers; why do the rings range so much in date, and why were they buried in a field?
The hoard took three years to go through the Treasure process and after being valued at just under £172,000 four months were allowed to raise the money needed to reimburse the finder, as is usual in cases of Treasure. The National Heritage Memorial Fund and the Art Fund made generous grants. The Headley Trust usually only makes a contribution if a Victoria and Albert Museum grant has been made but the latter had already been exhausted and the Headley Trust kindly made a grant award regardless. Further sums of money were given by Leeds Museums and Galleries, Leeds Philosophical and Literary Society, the Friends of Leeds Museums and Galleries, and the Goldsmiths’ Company. The remaining money was raised by a public appeal and the hoard was secured for Leeds. The objects went straight on display in the Leeds City Museum, and a brand new display about the hoard, partly funded by the Art Fund, will be going up this Spring.
Booty from Elmet?
I am very grateful to Kat Baxter, Curator of Archaeology at Leeds Museums and Galleries, for allowing me to reproduce the beautiful photo of a brooch fragment from the Leeds or West Yorkshire Ring Hoard. The hoard was found by a metal-detectorist in 2008 and 2009, and Kat has worked very hard to fund-raise the money needed to acquire the hoard for Leeds. The brooch fragment is one of a number of pieces of jewellery, mostly rings that are later in date than this brooch fragment, and a piece of gold ingot.
A short account of the West Yorkshire Hoard was recently published in Mary-Ann Ochota’s Britain’s Secret Treasures (Headline Publishing, 2013: pp.252-3) from which I taken these details. The brooch fragment has been dated to the 600s AD, like the Staffordshire Hoard but the finger rings seem to date from between 800 and 1000 AD. Further investigation of the location where the hoard was discovered didn’t yield any conclusive results.
The brooch fragment, it is said, would have been an antique when it went into the ground. This is speculating wildly but is it conceivable that one possible explanation for the presence of the brooch fragment is that it was a piece of plunder associated with the Kingdom of Elmet? Could it be a piece of that high status material culture that either belonged to an important member of Elmetian society or had been brought back to Elmet as plunder? Of course the material could have been brought in from elsewhere and have no particular connection with the West Riding apart from being found here. We can’t possibly know but it is tempting to speculate in an idle moment and it is a very interesting set of objects.
As they said in Calin and Hobbes, "there's treasure everywhere!" Metal detectorist on the beach at Musselburgh near the harbour. No sign of buried pirate treasure yet though.
The Medieval Section is endebted to Kat Baxter, Curator of Archaeology and Numismatics at Leeds Museums and Galleries, for speaking to us in November and for providing photographs of some of the very handsome Medieval treasure objects from the West Yorkshire hoard. Kat began her talk by giving an overview of Leeds Museums and Galleries and by telling us about the development of Treasure legislation. The success of the Treasure law can be seen in the fact that before 1997 26 finds per year were found to be treasure but in 2011 970 cases were reported as treasure – 95% of them found by metal-detectorists.
The story of the West Yorkshire hoard began when the Finds Liaison Officer for West Yorkshire sent Kat some photographs in 2008 asking if she might be interested in the objects. At this point five objects had been discovered. A rescue excavation was organised to see if there were any other pieces from the hoard still in the ground. A further two items were recovered by the metal-detectorist on a return visit to the site. The objects included a very fine 10th century gold and garnet ring, a 9th century niello ring, two filigree rings, a fragment of a 7th century cloisonne brooch, a piece of gold ingot or hack gold, and a lead spindle whorl.
The 10th century gold and garnet ring is particularly fine and has not suffered any wear. It has an enlarged stepped bezel and is decorated with granulations of gold beads. The garnet looks too small for its dog tooth setting – either this garnet is a replacement or it has sunk as its mount has degraded.The gold content of the ring is very high. The back of the ring has a twisted hoop of gold wire with decorative terminals. It is so fine it may have belonged to a bishop. It certainly belonged to someone of high status.
The 9th century niello ring is a different kind of ring. It may have been worn over the gloves. It has four large oval panels decorated with leaf or zoomorphic motifs picked out in niello (a black mixture of copper, silver, and lead sulphides used as an inlay). It has suffered a lot of wear.
The filigree ring is smaller and thinner and of lower gold content. It is decorated with filigree and granulation. It is not symmetrical and though a beautiful piece of jewellery it is not of the same quality as the piece described earlier.
The cloisonne brooch or pendant fragment is the earliest item in the hoard and dates from the 7th century. It has cells for inlays such as garnets but these have been hacked on one side and torn or bent out of shape. It would have been a stunning high class object when complete.
The second set of objects from the hoard consist of a another high quality ring with a high gold content with granular decoration. The ring appears to have a hollow bezzle and although it rattles when shaken nothing shows up on x-rays. the ring may have been an ecclesiastical ring owned by someone of high status. Like the earlier ring it shows no wear and appears to be brand new.
The last object is a lead spindle whorl and at present it is not clear why this was included in the hoard of gold objects. Two of the rings are of the highest quality known from Anglo-Saxon England. However, the rings cover a considerable period of time (the brooch has been dated to the 7th century, the rings are later, perhaps between the 9th and 11th centuries). It has been suggested they may have been part of a thief’s stash and that the hoard was consumed little by little, the individual pieces hacked up and semi-precious stones chiselled out. It is interesting that another fine ring was found between Aberford and Sherburn in 1870. It is clear that in the 10th century there were some affluent individuals living in the vicinity of Leeds. It may be that some of the rings have ecclesiastical associations. It is unusual not to find any coins with the hoard. The hoard is important because it is the only Anglo-Saxon hoard found of this quality in the area. As such it is an important addition to local history. Certainly it raises more questions than it answers; why do the rings range so much in date, and why were they buried in a field?
The hoard took three years to go through the Treasure process and after being valued at just under £172,000 four months were allowed to raise the money needed to reimburse the finder, as is usual in cases of Treasure. The National Heritage Memorial Fund and the Art Fund made generous grants. The Headley Trust usually only makes a contribution if a Victoria and Albert Museum grant has been made but the latter had already been exhausted and the Headley Trust kindly made a grant award regardless. Further sums of money were given by Leeds Museums and Galleries, Leeds Philosophical and Literary Society, the Friends of Leeds Museums and Galleries, and the Goldsmiths’ Company. The remaining money was raised by a public appeal and the hoard was secured for Leeds. The objects went straight on display in the Leeds City Museum, and a brand new display about the hoard, partly funded by the Art Fund, will be going up this Spring.
Booty from Elmet?
I am very grateful to Kat Baxter, Curator of Archaeology at Leeds Museums and Galleries, for allowing me to reproduce the beautiful photo of a brooch fragment from the Leeds or West Yorkshire Ring Hoard. The hoard was found by a metal-detectorist in 2008 and 2009, and Kat has worked very hard to fund-raise the money needed to acquire the hoard for Leeds. The brooch fragment is one of a number of pieces of jewellery, mostly rings that are later in date than this brooch fragment, and a piece of gold ingot.
A short account of the West Yorkshire Hoard was recently published in Mary-Ann Ochota’s Britain’s Secret Treasures (Headline Publishing, 2013: pp.252-3) from which I taken these details. The brooch fragment has been dated to the 600s AD, like the Staffordshire Hoard but the finger rings seem to date from between 800 and 1000 AD. Further investigation of the location where the hoard was discovered didn’t yield any conclusive results.
The brooch fragment, it is said, would have been an antique when it went into the ground. This is speculating wildly but is it conceivable that one possible explanation for the presence of the brooch fragment is that it was a piece of plunder associated with the Kingdom of Elmet? Could it be a piece of that high status material culture that either belonged to an important member of Elmetian society or had been brought back to Elmet as plunder? Of course the material could have been brought in from elsewhere and have no particular connection with the West Riding apart from being found here. We can’t possibly know but it is tempting to speculate in an idle moment and it is a very interesting set of objects.
When Mags and I were in London recently, we and a fair crowd of other people were interested in the activities of this metal-detectorist, or mudlark, who was probing the river banks at Gabriel’s Wharf on the south bank of the river. The people who enjoy spending time on the strips of land that get exposed either side of the River Thames at low tide are called ‘The Mudlarks’. The ninety-five mile foreshore of the tidal Thames is one of the richest archaeological sites in the United Kingdom. To legally search the Thames foreshore you need a permit from the Port of London Authority and although a Standard Permit allows a search up to a depth of twenty feet, it is only a Mudlark's Permit that allows any serious digging. This special permit is only available to members of the Society of Mudlarks. Founded in 1980, this society is reportedly made up of around seventy, mainly male, enthusiasts who get together to use their metal detectors on informal archaeological digs. The Mudlarking Permits state that any find that appears to be of historical interest must be taken to the Museum of London for identification and recording. Although English Law states that any found object is the property of the landowner, in practice the Port of London Authority often lets mudlarks keep and profit from their finds. But, unless what's found is either extremely rare or an item of "treasure" (i.e. part of a substantial buried hoard) there isn't much money to be made from mudlarking. We saw him sift out a coin from the sand that was at this point but there were no cries of ‘Eureka’ when we were there.
Metal Detectorist and Archaeologist Pete Twinn out in the field, trying to find bits and pieces of history.
Pete belongs to the school that believes material wealth/antiquities found from the earth should help tell the people how things got to be where they are.
He turns over all his finds to the city/museum of Bristol, or to the local land-owner.
It's for this reason that he does not disclose where he detects, so less-scrupulous detectorists don't get the artefacts.
for some reason not one but two metal detectorists out on the beach this afternoon, just a couple of moments apart. They seemed to be following the big tractor which hauls along a big machine which churns up and cleans the sand, perhaps that makes it easier for them to find stuff
for some reason not one but two metal detectorists out on the beach this afternoon, just a couple of moments apart. They seemed to be following the big tractor which hauls along a big machine which churns up and cleans the sand, perhaps that makes it easier for them to find stuff
oho, looks like he may have found something! "There's treasure everywhere!" as Calvin and Hobbes put it!
Quite an unusual sight in #Blyton earlier today.
This is just a small sample of the number of people with #metal #detectors in a field near where I live.
Does anyone know the collective term for 40 or so #metaldetectorists?
11.03.2018 13:48 GMT
24mm 1/400 sec f/4.0 ISO 100
One of my oldest photos of an archaeological artefact (a Dirhem coin from Arabia found in the Netherlands). At that time, while visiting metaldetectorists for my study in the evening, I had great difficulties with getting a more or less acceptable white balance and lighting. This was mainly caused by my non-daylight lamps, which were also too bright for the job. Photo made with my Canon Powershot A250 (now replaced by a DSLR).
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