Friday, August 12, 2011

Staffordshire Hoard is coming to America

More than one hundred artefacts from the Staffordshire Hoard – the largest and most valuable collection of Anglo-Saxon treasure ever discovered – will be displayed in Washington D.C. later this year.

The exhibition, called ‘Anglo-Saxon Hoard: Gold from England’s Dark Ages’ will be open at the National Geographic Museum from October 29, 2011 to March 4, 2012.

The Staffordshire Hoard comprises more than 3,300 mainly gold and silver artefacts from the seventh and eighth centuries. The haul is made up of intricately designed articles of war, including helmet cheek pieces, sword pommels and religious crosses. Experts believe that some of the items were deliberately folded before being buried and that the treasure could be the booty from a battlefield from the ancient kingdom of Mercia.

Click here to read this article from Medievalists.net