The Staffordshire Hoard discovery

Record summary

In 2009, metal detectorist Terry Herbert found the largest known Anglo-Saxon gold and silver hoard in England near Hammerwich. Archaeological recovery identified weapon fittings, helmet elements, crosses and other fragments, prompting questions about elite warfare, craft production, Christian and non-Christian symbolism, and why the objects were buried. The discovery is especially valuable because controlled excavation and later conservation can be compared with earlier detector finds. Interpretations of ownership, date, deposition circumstances and original object forms remain partly provisional.