Staffordshire Hoard

This item appears on page 68 of the March 2010 issue.

Discovered in a field in southern Staffordshire, England, in July 2009, the Staffordshire Hoard is the largest collection of Anglo-Saxon gold ever found. It comprises more than 1,500 individual items, most gold and some decorated with precious stones. Items include sword fittings, a helmet fragment and three Christian crosses.

Eighteen objects are now on display at the British Museum (free) in London. Visit www.staffordshirehoard.org.uk or www.britishmuseum.org.