US, WASHINGTON (ORDO NEWS) — In the UK, archaeologists after more than a year of analysis have recognized that the origin of the 1100-year-old silver brooch found in the English county of Norfolk risks remaining a “mystery that can never be solved.”
According to BBC News, we are talking about an artifact discovered by an amateur archaeologist back in May 2019. He was found with a metal detector in a field near the village of Swaffham. The amateur reported the find to experts.
Analysis showed that this is an Anglo-Saxon silver disk brooch, made in the style of Truchiddle and dating to the middle or end of the 9th century. Archaeologists say its origin is likely to remain a mystery forever. The fact is that she was found in the soil brought to the field by one of the many trucks. And the owner of the site could not explain where exactly this soil was brought from.
That is, it remains a mystery where exactly the brooch lay over the past millennium and how it got there. This will make her identification extremely difficult. The brooch itself is a rare artifact. Jewelry similar to it was previously found only in the so-called “Pentney treasure”. It was discovered by a gravedigger in a cemetery in 1978.
By the way, the town of Pentney is located about 15 kilometers from the field where this brooch was found. But we can only assume that the soil was brought from there. A detailed description of the find is given on the website of the British Museum, whose experts in the coming days should give a conclusion on the recognition of the artifact as a treasure. Only in this case, the person who found it can count on a reward.
The brooch is made of cast silver of the early Middle Ages; it is in good condition. Its front part is richly decorated with leafy and zoomorphic motifs. On the back there is a one-piece lock, consisting of a spring, a pin and a fixing plate.
The main pattern on the front is a pointed cross placed over a flower of four petals. It is soldered to the surface with five rivets, and inside it are images of four animals, which is typical of the Truchiddle style. The diameter of the brooch is 72.7 mm, and the thickness of its disk is only one millimeter.
Scientists note that the brooches from the previously found “Pentney treasure” were not made of pure silver, but with a small addition of copper alloy. However, the new artifact differs from them not only in this, but also in the design – it is recognized as unique.
—
Online:
Contact us: [email protected]
Our Standards, Terms of Use: Standard Terms And Conditions.