The Hoard....

[davem]

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/metal-detector-man-finds-massive-anglosaxon-hoard-1792387.html & http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/highlights-of-anglosaxon-hoard-1792388.html

[Eönwë]

It also appears to have their own website already:
http://www.staffordshirehoard.org.uk/

[davem]

And more pics & video here http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/staffordshire/8272058.stm I think Tolkien would have been in seventh heaven about this find....

[davem]

The Times manages to bring Tolkien in to the discussion
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/uk/article6848119.ece

[Rumil]

Absolutely fantastic

more gold than Sutton Hoo, what's not to like?

I'm convinced (as a Taff) that it was mostly nicked off us Sub-Roman Britons, though when I toddle up to Birmingham museum on the weekend I doubt that'll cut much ice!

Loved the quote-
Mr Herbert, who has been an amateur treasure hunter for 18 years

most excellently hobbitesque!

I'm thinking Penda the pagan Mercian, so very cool!!

[tumhalad2]

Well that's the big question isn't it. The boundaries that differentiate sub Roman Britain from fully fledged Anglo-Saxon England are not well known. I've been involved with some linguistic research on the question, and it would seem that the area around London (called by archaeologists the "core zone") was the first to be subsumed by the new Anglo Saxon material culture. This process alone took about 150 years however, so by the time we get to the 7th century (apparently the dating of this incredible find) you have a British isles divided between the Britons and the English.

It's important when studying ancient history, moreso than modern, to try and dissasociate your mind from your contemporary context. This was an England where the English shared the island with culturally and linguistically distinguishable Britons; only over a period of 500 or so years did the English language finally entrench itself.

So as to whether the gold might be sub-Roman? Probably not, but I wouldn't be surprised if its existance has something to do with the British-English wars...after all there were many British realms, in Wales, a big one at Strathclyde, Dumnonia in Cornwall...:p

[Lush]

Dang, I'd love to see this one up close. Imagine the sheer hoodoo around a find like this.

[davem]

Looks like they've been queuing round the block for a glimpse http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/staffordshire/8274279.stm

Visitors to Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery are able to see a selection of the items until 13 October.

So many people turned up on the first day, the opening was delayed while exhibits were moved to a larger space.

[davem]

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/8275673.stm- the Shield Plate of two eagles seperated by a fish seems very Tolkienesque, though,,,,,,

[Eönwë]

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/8275673.stm- the Shield Plate of two eagles seperated by a fish seems very Tolkienesque, though,,,,,,

Erm, davem, the link doesn't work (you have to get rid of the "-" at the end to make it go to the right place).