The Staffordshire Hoard is unique in that it is almost entirely made up of war gear, especially sword fittings. Over 1,000 pieces are from a single, ornate helmet. It is the grandest example to have been found from the period and would have been fit for a king.
Why was the Staffordshire Hoard significant?
The Staffordshire Hoard is the largest collection of Anglo-Saxon gold and silver ever discovered. The hoard is more than just a treasure. It is a window on life in England in the 6th and 7th centuries AD and the world of its warrior elite.
What was in the Staffordshire Hoard?
The Staffordshire Hoard is the largest hoard of Anglo-Saxon gold and silver metalwork yet found. It consists of almost 4,600 items and metal fragments, amounting to a total of 5.1 kg (11 lb) of gold, 1.4 kg (3 lb) of silver and some 3,500 pieces of garnet cloisonné jewellery.
What happened to the Staffordshire Hoard?
All of the Staffordshire Hoard Treasure finds from 2009 and 2012 are now owned jointly by Birmingham and Stoke-on-Trent City Councils on behalf of the nation, and cared for by Birmingham Museums Trust and the Potteries Museum & Art Gallery, Stoke-on-Trent.
What does the Staffordshire Hoard tell us about the Anglo Saxons?
Scientific analysis tells us that the Anglo-Saxon goldsmiths managed to change the surface of the objects to remove some of the silver. This has the effect of making the object look even more golden.
Was the Staffordshire Hoard a grave?
The Staffordshire Hoard is the largest collection of Anglo-Saxon gold and silver metalwork ever found, comprising over 4,000 items. Archaeologists believe the Hoard was buried during the 7th Century (600-699AD), at a time when the region was part of the Kingdom of Mercia.
How much did the man who found the Staffordshire Hoard get?
£3.2m
A farmer who shared a £3.2m windfall after the Staffordshire Hoard was discovered in his field has said the money has not changed him. Fred Johnson still lives on the farm where the biggest ever haul of Anglo-Saxon gold and silver was discovered 10 years ago by a metal detectorist.
Who owns the Staffordshire Hoard?
There are more than 600 significant objects found in 4600 fragments of mainly war gear, which combine to a total of nearly 4 kilos of gold, 1.7 kilos of silver and thousands of cloisonné garnets. The greatest mystery of the Hoard remains unsolved as it is unknown who owned and assembled this extraordinary treasure.
What is the lemminkäinen hoard history?
The alleged existence of the Lemminkäinen Hoard first emerged in 1984 when Ior Bock claimed that his family – one of the oldest in Scandinavia – were direct descendants of Lemminkäinen, a figure from Finnish pagan mythology. Lemminkäinen, Carl Eneas Sjöstrand, 1872.
Where is the Sutton Hoo treasure?
The British Museum, London
Where’s the Treasure? The King’s Mound treasure is displayed in Room 41: Sutton Hoo and Europe, AD 300-1100 at The British Museum, London, where it can be seen in the context of the seismic changes taking place across Europe in the Early Medieval period.
Is Mercia still a thing?
After Mercia was annexed by Wessex in the early 10th century, the West Saxon rulers divided it into shires modelled after their own system, cutting across traditional Mercian divisions. These shires survived mostly intact until 1974, and even today still largely follow their original boundaries.
What was Stafford Castle used for?
From the time of the Norman Conquest and as recorded in the Domesday Book of 1086 it was the seat of the powerful Anglo-Norman Stafford family (originally de Tosny, later via a female line de Stafford), feudal barons of Stafford, later Barons Stafford (1299) by writ, Earls of Stafford (1351) and Dukes of Buckingham (
What happened Stafford Castle?
By the early 17th century, the castle’s fortunes waned. During the early part of the Civil War it was defended by the Gallant Lady Isabel but was eventually abandoned and demolished.
Why were Anglo-Saxons buried with their possessions?
The ship was full of gold and silver, jewellery and weapons, bowls and cups. In Anglo-Saxon times these sorts of things were often buried with people when they died – perhaps because the Anglo-Saxons thought the dead person would need them on their journey to another life, or when he got there.
What did Anglo-Saxons call slaves?
Like the Romans, the British and the Anglo-Saxons had lots of slaves. A slave was a person who was the property of another person. They were thought of as objects rather than people and could be bought and sold. A slave was called a ‘caeth’ in Brythonic and a ‘theow’ or ‘thrall’ in Old English.
What three qualities did the Anglo-Saxons emphasize?
The Anglo-Saxons valued bravery, perseverance, sacrifice, loyalty, duty to the tribe and king, and honor. These ideals, known as the Heroic Code in Beowulf, exemplify what they deemed important in their culture. They used stories to teach these morals to successive generations.
What is the biggest treasure ever found?
The largest monetary treasure haul found was on the wreck code named Black Swan, discovered by Odyssey Marine Exploration in 2007 off of Gibraltar. The salvage team reportedly found 17 tons of coins valued at $500 million; an amount that is both staggering and said to be “unprecedented” in the treasure hunting world.
What is the oldest grave in England?
The oldest known buried remains in Britain are 29,000 years old, archaeologists have found – 4,000 years older than previously thought. The findings show that ceremonial burials were taking place in western Europe much earlier than researchers had believed.
What is the oldest grave stone in England?
The earliest surviving monument is believed to be the headstone to Theophilus Gale: the inscription reads “Theophilus Gale MA / Born 1628 / Died 1678”.
What did Terry Herbert choose to do with the Staffordshire Hoard?
Terry Herbert, 64, discovered the ancient gold and silver haul on 75-year-old farmer Fred Johnson’s land. Their find, on July 5, 2009, became an international sensation and was sold off to museums, leaving the men rich. But the duo fell out over the cash, with Mr Herbert claiming Mr Johnson wanted it all for himself.
How much was the jersey hoard worth?
Background: provided by the Receiver General
The total consideration paid by the Government to the Crown for the purchase of the Hoard is £4,250,000. This includes an amount of £250,000 paid to Jersey Heritage to disaggregate the Hoard, which was necessary to establish all the components that comprise it.