In her role as one of the experts in Channel 4’s long-running Time Team series, Dr Helen Geake saw many exciting finds come to the surface. But the discovery of the stunning gold and jewel pendant, dug out of a muddy South Norfolk field and announced today, tops the lot.
The exquisite 7cm pendant is stunningly made with gold ‘cells’ and red garnet inlays. Some of the garnets have been cut to make animal ‘interlace’, a popular and highly-skilled design technique from the period where representations of creatures are stretched out and intricately interwoven.
But all of these discoveries were still in the future when Tom Lucking, a first-year UEA landscape archaeology student and keen member of the Suffolk Archaeological Field Group, was exploring the field – with the landowner’s permission – just before Christmas.
His detector found a large and deep signal, and he dug down just far enough to reveal the top of a bronze bowl. Instead of carrying on he did exactly the right thing: carefully re-filling the hole and calling in the Field Group’s geophysics team to survey the site, and Norfolk County Council’s Heritage Environment Service to assess any finds.
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Gold Thor’s Hammer Pendant found in Lincolnshire
A metal detecting enthusiast has discovered a rare gold Viking pendant – the only one of its kind to be discovered in Lincolnshire.
Devin Wormsleycorr, from Spilsby, is now awaiting confirmation through the Treasure Act after discovering the piece in February.
He made the discovery in the first 10 minutes while metal detecting in a field with the landowner’s permission.
He said: “I did not know what it was at first. I just thought is was a modern day cross and put it in my pocket.
“I had found a few coins that day and thought more of them at first then the cross.
“I even wore it for a bit myself as part of a necklace – I just thought it was a modern sadist cross as it had three points on it.
“It was only when I got in touch with Adam Daubney that we thought it could be something very special.”
I’ve no idea what a “sadist cross” is, but you can read the rest of the article here:
Aurelia's Metal Detecting 