Staffordshire gold hoard to be shown off in city (VIDEO)
PRICELESS artifacts from the biggest haul of Anglo-Saxon treasure ever unearthed in Britain are to go on public display in Stoke-on-Trent.
Museum officials will today announce that 80 of the finest pieces from the Staffordshire Hoard are coming to the Potteries Museum and Art Gallery early next year.
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The arrival of the Seventh Century war booty is expected to attracts tens of thousands of visitors and provide a massive boost to the city's economy and tourism industry.
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The treasure, which includes about 1,500 examples of ornate gold and silver armour, jewellery and ornaments, was discovered in July in a field near Tamworth.
Stoke-on-Trent City Council, Staffordshire County Council and Birmingham City Council are now mounting a joint bid to keep the Hoard in the Midlands.
The treasure is still in the process of being examined, painstakingly cleaned and valued at the British Museum in London, where some of the pieces will go on show this week.
But the British Museum's head of portable antiquities Dr Roger Bland has said Stoke-on-Trent will be next in line.
He said: "I can confirm the treasure will be displayed in Stoke-on-Trent when the valuation process is complete and I anticipate the artifacts could be available for display at the Potteries Museum and Art Gallery early in the New Year."
It is thought the exhibition will take place in February and last for 20 days.
City council leader Ross Irving said: "This will be the first time the Hoard will be exhibited in Staffordshire – the county in which it was found. We anticipate receiving thousands of extra visitors to the Potteries Museum and Art Gallery and we'll welcome them to see other the attractions Stoke-on-Trent has to offer."
The city currently brings in 3.6 million visitors a year and they contribute more than £191 million to the economy and support 5,000 jobs.
More stories about the Staffordshire Hoard:
Archaeology finds go on show at dig
Keep the Hoard in Staffordshire, say MPs
Staffordshire Hoard exhibition hailed a major success
Largest-ever hoard of Anglo-Saxon gold discovered
A time when Caverswall and Rocester were the biggest landmarks in the area
6 Comments
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by Warren, Meir.
Monday, November 02 2009, 2:48PM
“lol, Andrew, I hope you are jokeing dude. I'll be straight, I'll be in the line to see it, Cash for Gold enverlope in hand.”
by Andrew, Longton
Monday, November 02 2009, 2:28PM
“Save queuing in the cold to see the gold, H.Samuel have a good selection of gold to look at in the Potteries shopping centre.
And its new not like that second hand stuff found in a field,
It cant be much good, if someone threw it away.”
by Warren, Meir
Monday, November 02 2009, 2:08PM
“Lets just hope no one nicks it., you know what some are like, turn you back and its away.”
by Linda Slind, Stoke on Trent
Monday, November 02 2009, 2:07PM
“I actually went to Birmingham to queue up, why I bothered I have no idea, yes it was nice to see some unearthed treasures, but there were so few pieces on display and there was no variety, after you'd waited 3 hours to see 12 pieces of very similar gold in one display cabinet you may as well have gone home, they were all the same, I genuinely don't think it's worth going until the whole lot is on display, but that's just my opinion.”
by Paul, Trentham
Monday, November 02 2009, 1:54PM
“Gold hoard on show in City!
Is Chris Harman displaying his cheque for £56,616 at Hanley Museum?”