In a rather fantastic tale of not giving up on your dreams , two amateur metal detectorists shine atomic number 79 – literally – in a rural field in Staffordshire , stumbling across a hoard of gold jewelry that could well be the oldest ever found in the UK .
The “ Leekfrith Iron Age Torcs ” , as the discovery is being referred to , comprises of three extremely ornamental atomic number 79 neck opening torcs and a bracelet , which possibly come from the continent , either Germany or France .
“ This unique find is of outside grandness , " said Dr Julia Farley , conservator of British & European Iron Age Collections for the British Museum , in astatement . " It dates to around 400 - 250 BC , and is believably the early Iron Age amber work ever discovered in Britain .
“ The torcs were credibly worn by wealthy and herculean women , perhaps people from the continent who had wed into the local community . Piecing together how these object came to be cautiously entomb in a Staffordshire field will give us an invaluable insight into life story in Iron Age Britain . ”
The torcs are extremely decorated with twisted gold wire and trumpet - mold remnant . ( C ) Staffordshire County Council
The treasure was detect by two local gentleman’s gentleman , Mark Hambleton and Joe Kania , just before Christmas . Having previously scanned the field two decades in the first place and finding nothing , they gave up and turned to fish for the next 20 year . They were encourage to get back into the hunt by Mr Hambleton ’s father , who woefully pass away not long after their discovery , though he did live to see his son ’s discovery .
“ I used to go alloy detecting with my dad when I was young and he say to me ' why are you discommode sportfishing ? You should be back in those field of honor , ' ” Mr Hambleton told theDaily Mail . “ I am so happy we took his advice and pleased of course that he got the chance to see these astonishing pieces and show he was right all along . ”
Are these the early example of Iron Age Au jewelry find in Britain ? ( C ) Staffordshire County Council
Hambleton and Kania happen the jewelry disperse about a meter ( 3.3 human foot ) asunder , and just below the surface of the filth on cultivated land about 80 kilometers ( 50 nautical mile ) from the famous Anglo - Saxon “ Staffordshire cache ” found in 2009 , which included about 4,000 particular of precious metal value at around £ 3.2 million ( $ 3.9 million ) .
They were about to give up for the day when Kania called out to Hambleton that he mean he ’d found something . “ We have found the peculiar Victorian coin but mostly it has just been debris , ” Kania toldthe Guardian , “ so I could n’t believe it when I pick out this mud - covered point and , on cleaning it off , I thought this might in reality be gold . ”
The draw hasofficially been declaredas “ gem ” and so underThe Treasure Actis now the property of the Crown , with any issue to be split between the Friend and the landowner of the fateful field .
