Warrior Treasure
The Staffordshire Hoard in Anglo-Saxon England
Chris Fern author Jenni Butterworth author
Format:Paperback
Publisher:Liverpool University Press
Published:1st May '22
Should be back in stock very soon
The Staffordshire Hoard is one of the great discoveries of British archaeology, an unparalleled treasure of the early Anglo-Saxon period. Chanced upon in summer 2009, in an ordinary field north of Birmingham, its hundreds of objects of the 6th to 7th centuries AD amount to a total of 4kg of gold and 1.7kg of silver. An archaeological excavation at the site was followed by a dedicated research project to understand why this trove of warriors and kings was buried, and what part it had played in the bloody cauldron of conflict that shaped early England.
This book is an accessible account of the Staffordshire Hoard project and its findings. It tells of the discovery of the Hoard, the fundraising campaign to save it for the nation, and the scientific methods used to study it. Its many extraordinary objects are described in detail and lavishly illustrated: hundreds of gold, garnet and silver weapon fittings, unique sacred objects, Christian crosses, one magnificent helmet and more. The book also provides information on the places, people and events that place this remarkable find in context, with sections on the kingdom of Mercia and its neighbours, Anglo-Saxon warfare, religion, craft techniques and comparable archaeological sites.
‘This book is an important summary, both of the results of research on the hoard and of its significance. The inclusion of comparative material helps place it in context, and a neat time-chart shows the changing styles of metalwork within the hoard. This, along with a tabulation of the finds, gives an overview that is not otherwise easily available.\’
Kevin Leahy, Current Archaeology
‘A measured, highly informed and extremely well-illustrated description of the hoard, with some archaeology and history to put it into context, but without being eclipsed by wider aspects of the Anglo-Saxon world: it lives up to its title.\’ Mike Pitts, British Archaeology
‘This wonderful book on the mysterious and famous Staffordshire hoard from central England describes in detail the discovery, the finds and their conservation, and the wider context of the hoard in the Anglo-Saxon world. Given the huge public interest in the discovery, the book is written to inform a wide audience; however, it will not disappoint any specialist readers. The authors have succeeded in balancing an academic depth of knowledge with an accessible style. Inset boxes clearly explain certain techniques or sources. Beautiful images illustrate the different steps of conservation and investigation and show off the outstanding finds and the complex manufacturing technologies… detailed investigations show that every object has its own story—sometimes literally, in the form of intricate images of serpents, an eagle catching fish, horses, mythical beasts and much more.’ Marion Uckelmann, Antiquity
ISBN: 9781800854819
Dimensions: unknown
Weight: unknown
128 pages