Harpole Treasure facts for kids
 Location in Northamptonshire
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| Location | Harpole, Northamptonshire, England, United Kingdom |
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| Coordinates | 52°14′N 0°59′W / 52.24°N 0.99°W |
| Type | Tomb |
| History | |
| Periods | Anglo-Saxon |
| Cultures | Anglo-Saxon, Christian |
| Site notes | |
| Excavation dates | 2022 |
The Harpole Treasure is an amazing collection of Anglo-Saxon items. These items were found in 2022 in a special burial site. It was discovered in Harpole, a village in Northamptonshire, England. The most exciting find was a beautiful necklace. Experts say it's the most decorated necklace of its kind ever found!
The site dates back to around 630 to 670 CE. This was during the Anglo-Saxon period in England. The woman buried there was likely very important. She probably had a high position in the early Christian church. This type of burial is called a bed burial. It means the person was buried resting on a bed. This was usually done for important women.
Finding the Treasure
The Harpole site was dug up before new houses were built. This kind of digging is called rescue archaeology. It happens when archaeologists need to explore a site quickly. They do this before construction starts. The work was done by a group called the Museum of London Archaeology (MOLA). They had help from the RPS Group. The amazing burial was found on almost the very last day of their eight-week dig!
The archaeological dig was even shown on TV. It was part of a BBC Two show called Digging for Britain. This episode aired in January 2023. It featured Alice Roberts, who explores history and archaeology.
What Was Found?
Many valuable items were found during the dig. These included pieces of jewelry made from precious metals and stones. Most of these items were part of the incredible necklace. It is one of the most fancy necklaces ever found from that time.
The very first piece of treasure was discovered by Levente-Bence Balázs. He was a dig leader for MOLA. Lyn Blackmore, a senior expert at MOLA, said the number of items and their fancy designs were unusual. This is because the Christian church at that time often did not like people showing off too much wealth.
Another special item found was a large, decorated cross. It had a human face made of delicate silver. The face even had blue glass eyes! Two pots were also found. They contained a mystery substance that archaeologists are still studying.
While not as many items as some pagan burials, these Christian treasures are still very special. They show a mix of old traditions and new Christian beliefs.
See also
