Breathtaking treasure trove will come to Stoke-on-Trent

TREASURE taken from the largest-ever find of Anglo-Saxon silver and gold will go on display in Stoke-on-Trent.

The artefacts, uncovered by a metal detector in a south Staffordshire field, are expected to be valued at millions of pounds.

But the historical worth of the treasure, known as the Staffordshire Hoard, is expected to be far greater as historians anticipate its sheer size and scope will provide a fascinating insight into life in Saxon England.

Burslem historian Fred Hughes said: "It is a dark period, which historians don't know a lot about.

"But it is finds like this that give us clues about what life was like at the time. This is such an important find, not in terms of how much money it is worth, but its historic value.

"Quite clearly, it provides evidence of an important Saxon settlement."

The haul of at least 1,345 items was officially declared 'treasure' by South Staffordshire Coroner Andrew Haigh.

Mr Haigh said: "This is a magnificent find, both in terms of its content and its likely history."

Now the treasure will be valued by the British Museum, in a process which could take up to 12 months.

Once a value has been set, Stoke-on-Trent City Council, together with Staffordshire County Council and Birmingham City Council, intends to use Government grants to buy the hoard and preserve it in Staffordshire.

The city council's museums service is the repository for archaeological remains recovered from across Staffordshire, including the area where the hoard was discovered.

That means a selection of items from the collection is destined for the Potteries Museum and Art Gallery, although some artefacts are likely to be displayed other locations in the county.

Some of the most significant finds are now on display at Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery, where the items have been stored.

The city council's history collections officer, Deb Klemperer, is a specialist in Saxo-Norman Staffordshire pottery, based at the Potteries Museum.

She said: "My first view of the hoard brought tears to my eyes – the Dark Ages in Staffordshire have never looked so bright nor so beautiful."

The hoard, which contains 5kg of gold and 2.5kg of silver, dwarfs the treasure trove found at Sutton Hoo, the world-famous Anglo-Saxon burial ground in South East Suffolk.

It was first discovered in July by metal detector Terry Herbert on private farmland which he was scanning with the written consent of the landowner.

Ross Irving, leader of Stoke-on-Trent City Council, pictured left, said: "The scale and significance of this find is staggering. Nothing like this has ever been discovered before. We are the collecting authority for archaeological finds for all of Staffordshire and are thrilled that this treasure has been unearthed in the county.

"We will be working very closely with neighbouring authorities to secure these incomparable artefacts for the region's economy and heritage. This marvellous find will entice people from around the world to visit Staffordshire and the potential for this find to stimulate learning and regeneration is simply incredible."

Interim chief executive Chris Harman said: "We have a wealth of resources in Stoke-on-Trent to help ensure, with our partners, that this incredible find is expertly accommodated, preserved and interpreted."

Councillor Hazel Lyth, cabinet member for enterprise and culture, said: "The Potteries Museum and Art Gallery holds fantastic archaeological collections from the whole of Staffordshire and has several significant Saxon metal finds as well as a tonne-and-a-quarter of Saxon-Norman pottery made here. We hold the national post-medieval pottery reference collection.

"We are hoping to display the Staffordshire Hoard alongside numerous collections of archaeological remains which are interpreted within the context of the geological, natural and social history of our area."

Dr Roger Bland, head of portable antiquities and treasure at the British Museum, said the significance of the find was "only beginning to dawn" on the small number of experts who have examined it.

He added: "It is at least as significant as any of the major discoveries of this period made in the past.

"We expect it to be (worth) a seven-figure sum."

Leslie Webster, former keeper, department of pre-history and Europe at the British Museum, said: "This is going to alter our perceptions of Anglo-Saxon England as radically, if not more so, as the Sutton Hoo discoveries.

"It is absolutely the equivalent of finding a new Lindisfarne Gospels or Book of Kells."

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