ancient gold artefact wales

Ancient gold artefacts unearthed in Wales

Two gold artefacts thought to be around 3,000 years old have been found near Wrexham. The Late Bronze Age hoard of two ‘lock’ gold rings were discovered in the Community of Rosset. The wearer would’ve been a person of wealth and status within Late Bronze Age Society, between 10000 and 800BC. In terms of their use, archaeologists aren’t certain whether they were used as ear-rings or worn to gather locks of hair, as the name suggests. In Wales, lock-rings have previously been found at Gaerwen, Anglesey, the Great Orme, Conwy and Newport, Pembrokeshire. This largely coastal pattern hints at possible trading and communication links between Late Bronze Age communities living in Wales and Ireland.

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ancient gold artefact wales

Eboracum (Ryedale) Hoard comes to auction

This remarkable hoard of 65 coins and 4 ingots found by two metal detectorists in a North Yorkshire field in 2012 has come onto the open market in a highly unusual sale. The hoard is a fascinating insight into the power struggles of the northern Danelaw and King Aethelstan’s subsequent recapturing of York from the Vikings in a.d. 927. We see on the coins a fascinating mix of the different cultures and religions prevalent in 10th century England.This opportunity to buy items from the Eboracum (Ryedale) Hoard is so rare because coins of this nature are normally declared treasure under the 1996 act and go to museums.In this case, both the Yorkshire Museum in York and British Museum disclaimed the hoard – describing it as overvalued – and so the 65 coins and four ingots, found by two metal detectorists in a North Yorkshire field in 2012, went back to their finders. London numismatists Spink have catalogued the material in about 60 lots for their March 26 sale in London. Spink specialist Jon Mann said: “I can’t think of a single find in recent times, at least since the Treasure Act was put into place in 1996, where something of this magnitude and period has not gone to a museum collection. In that respect it is a highly unusual thing to come onto the market.”

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Eboracum (Ryedale) Viking Hoard

Eboracum (Ryedale) Hoard comes to auction

This remarkable hoard of 65 coins and 4 ingots found by two metal detectorists in a North Yorkshire field in 2012 has come onto the open market in a highly unusual sale. The hoard is a fascinating insight into the power struggles of the northern Danelaw and King Aethelstan’s subsequent recapturing of York from the Vikings in a.d. 927. We see on the coins a fascinating mix of the different cultures and religions prevalent in 10th century England.This opportunity to buy items from the Eboracum (Ryedale) Hoard is so rare because coins of this nature are normally declared treasure under the 1996 act and go to museums.In this case, both the Yorkshire Museum in York and British Museum disclaimed the hoard – describing it as overvalued – and so the 65 coins and four ingots, found by two metal detectorists in a North Yorkshire field in 2012, went back to their finders. London numismatists Spink have catalogued the material in about 60 lots for their March 26 sale in London. Spink specialist Jon Mann said: “I can’t think of a single find in recent times, at least since the Treasure Act was put into place in 1996, where something of this magnitude and period has not gone to a museum collection. In that respect it is a highly unusual thing to come onto the market.”

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Eboracum (Ryedale) Viking Hoard

hadrians wall metal detecting

Is ‘nighthawking’ stealing our past?

Heritage groups say one of the countryside’s most famous monuments is “under attack” from illegal metal detectorists hunting for buried treasure. But what is “nighthawking” – and is it robbing us of our past? “See a penny, pick it up and all that day you’ll have good luck” – it’s something we’ve all told ourselves on those harmless occasions we’ve spotted small change on the ground. But there are times when pocketing the odd silver or gold coin truly breaks the law. Illegal metal detecting – or “nighthawking” as it is more commonly known – is sweeping the spine of the east of England, heritage groups say, robbing us of our chance to examine the past and causing damage and strife to landowners. England’s earliest settlements – areas such as Lincolnshire, Sussex, East Anglia and Kent – are some of those suffering the most at the hands of criminals churning up the land in the hope of finding valuable relics left by our ancestors. Hadrian’s Wall in the Northumberland National Park is one of the most recent places to come under attack, with unlawful excavations being carried out at Steel Rigg and Peel Crags. Though it is only the second time it has been targeted in five years, the site is listed as a Scheduled Ancient Monument – an archaeologically and nationally important location where it is a criminal offence to use metal detecting equipment without permission from English Heritage.

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hadrians wall metal detecting