Most amateur treasure hunters searching for buried treasure with a metal detector would be delighted to find an occasional dated silver coin. The discovery of buried gold treasure, however, remains only a dream for the vast majority of treasure seekers.
Imagine the excitement of a British treasure hunter who unearthed one of the most exquisite and extensive collection of gold artifacts ever discovered. Searching on a Staffordshire farm in July of 2009, Terry Herbert stumbled across a treasure hoard of 3,500 artifacts, of which many were masterfully crafted out of gold.
It will never be ascertained who buried the fabulous treasure that came to be known as the "Staffordshire Hoard". The English countryside where the treasure was discovered has a long and violent history of warfare by numerous conquerors and barbarian tribes. In any event, those who buried the treasure approximately 1300 years ago never retrieved it, bequeathing to history a fabulous array of ancient artifacts.
The vast majority of the exquisitely crafted items discovered were made for military use or adornment. The treasure hoard contained no gold or silver coins.
The estimated value of the Staffordshire Hoard is estimated at $5.3 million. The treasure hoard consisted of 11 pounds of gold which accounted for three quarters of the treasure's total weight.
The Staffordshire Hoard is owned by the Birmingham Museums and Art Gallery, which will preserve the magnificent treasure for future generations.
The November issue of National Geographic has an extensive photo display of the Staffordshire Hoard, several of which are featured below.
Courtesy National Geographic, Photo by robertclarkphoto.comBeyond the historical and cultural value of the Staffordshire Hoard, a large percent of the treasure's value can be ascribed to the value of the gold content which held value for approximately 13 centuries. The cold ground of the English countryside preserved a treasure for future generations. Anyone care to ponder on what the value of U.S. dollars buried in the ground today would be worth in the year 3311??
Courtesy nationalgeographic.com, Helmet re-creation
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