Herefordshire hoard facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Herefordshire Hoard |
|
|---|---|
| Created | 850-900 (deposited) |
| Period/culture | Viking |
| Discovered | 2015 Eye, near Leominster, Herefordshire, England |
The Herefordshire Hoard is a special collection of old coins and shiny jewelry from the Viking Age. It was found in 2015 near a town called Leominster in Herefordshire, England. This amazing find helps us learn more about the Vikings and what life was like long ago!
Contents
Discovery of the Hoard
The Herefordshire Hoard was found in June 2015 by two people using metal detectors, George Powell and Layton Davies. They found it near a place called Eye, Herefordshire, which is close to Leominster.
When someone finds something very old and valuable like this in England, there are special rules called the Treasure Act 1996. These rules say that the finders should tell the authorities about their discovery very quickly, usually within 14 days. This is important so experts can study the items and make sure they are looked after properly.
A few pieces from the hoard were reported to Peter Reavill, who works for the Portable Antiquities Scheme. This scheme helps record archaeological finds made by the public.
What Was Found in the Hoard?
The Herefordshire Hoard contained many interesting items from the past. Experts believe there were originally about 300 coins in total!
So far, 31 of these coins have been found and studied. But the hoard wasn't just coins. It also included other cool things:
- A shiny silver bar, called an ingot.
- A beautiful pendant made from rock crystal, wrapped in gold wire.
- A fancy gold bracelet.
- A gold finger ring.
Most of these items were buried in the late 800s, during the time of the Vikings. However, the rock-crystal pendant is even older! It's thought to be from the 400s or 500s. This shows that people in Viking times sometimes kept and treasured older objects.
It's hard to say exactly how much the whole hoard is worth because some parts are still missing. The coins that have been found were valued at a lot of money, showing how important and rare these historical treasures are.
Learning from the Hoard
The Herefordshire Hoard is very important for understanding the Viking period in Britain. It gives us clues about:
- The types of coins people used.
- The beautiful jewelry they wore.
- How people lived and traded during that time.
The items in the hoard tell us about the connections between different parts of England and even other countries during the Viking Age.
Acquisition and Public Display
The Herefordshire Museum Service, which is part of the local council, has been working to get the parts of the hoard that have been found. Their goal is to make sure these important historical items are kept safe and can be seen by everyone.
In December 2020, the story of the hoard was even nominated for a special award called the 'Rescue Project of the Year' by Current Archaeology magazine. This shows how much interest there is in protecting and learning from such amazing discoveries.
The hoard was also discussed on a BBC Radio 4 show called The Digital Human. This helped more people learn about this incredible find and why it matters to history.
See also
