ARCHAEOLOGISTS are beginning the task of cataloguing the largest-ever hoard of Anglo Saxon gold ever found after it was discovered by a 55-year-old metal detectorist.
ARCHAEOLOGISTS are beginning the task of cataloguing the largest-ever hoard of Anglo Saxon gold ever found after it was discovered by a 55-year-old metal detectorist.
Terry Herbert, from Burntwood, Staffordshire, came across the hoard as he searched a field near his home with his trusty 14-year-old detector in July.
Experts said the collection of more than 1,500 pieces - which will be officially classified by a coroner as treasure today - is unparalleled in size and may have belonged to Saxon royalty.
The hoard, believed to date back to the Seventh Century, contains around 5kg of Gold and 2.5kg of silver, far bigger than previous finds - including the famous Sutton Hoo burial site in Suffolk.
It may take more than a year to value the collection and, given its scale, the financial worth of the hoard cannot be estimated.
Many of the items in the hoard are warfare paraphernalia, including sword pommel caps and hilt plates, often inlaid with precious stones.
The exact location of the discovery has not been disclosed but it is understood to be near the Lichfield border in South Staffordshire.
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