Time Team Specials Secrets of the Saxon Gold

Time Team investigates the Anglo-Saxon treasure hoard found in a Staffordshire field in 2009

[charlsbronson]

Probably the most popular and interesting informative light educational programmes of television history.

[victoriaeads]

"it's like doing a jigsaw puzzle where you've got no edges and only middle. AND, crucially, you've got no picture on the box."
Sounds like archeology. Sign me up!!!!

[georgiewalker]

My bucket list includes a visit to the museum housing this hoard 🇿🇦 such stunning sophisticated work

[richard]

This is utterly amazing history. Thank you to whomever made this.

[russellball]

Further finds have been located in the same field by metal detectorists and archeologists in 2012 and 2013. These finds have are believed to be part of the original hoard. The farmer and the metal detectorists have again benefited from these further finds as it was officially deemed to be part of the original 2009 discovery.

[sicktodeath_]

Let’s all just appreciate the fact that the man with the mettle detector and the farmer both did EXACTLY what they were supposed to do in that rare situation. They benefited from it in the end, but they couldn’t have known that would be the case when they contacted the archeologists. I take off my hat to those two gentlemen.
❤️✌️

[brandonpliskin]

Incredible that thorns!!! Are the best material

[NekronOMG]

Doesn't is seem that the only reason for taking the blades out of the sword hilts would be to reuse them? And the only reason to take off the gold hilts would be to hide where the blades came from. It seems likely that this was all from a robbery of a royal grave in the 600's. The blades were removed to be sold off and the gold was hidden until it could be melted down so it couldn't be identified. But the perpetrators were caught and executed before they could retrieve the gold. That might also explain why so much of the jewelry was twisted - if it had to be pulled off a body. Just a thought.

[patricaputt]

Check out "East Anglican crown jewels". The fact that this hoard bears close resemblance to that found at Sutton Hoo, in Suffolk, it may well be the spoils of a battle that occurred, 'possibly' near Blytheburgh in Suffolk during which the aforementioned "crown jewels" disappeared.

[ErnestoBrausewind]

The design and craftsmanship of the Anglo-Saxon Artifacts is breathtaking

[CompetitiveAudio]

My SWAG (Sophisticated Wild A$$ Guess). The artifacts were stolen from an area where the spoils of battle were being processed. The thief made off with the items and hid them for recovery later. But he/she met with misfortune and never recovered his/her booty...

[thomasandersen]

Brilliant episode thank you for uploading from The States 😉

[a.westenholz]

I think there could be several explanations for that hoard. But one that struck me was that someone had looted the recent dead on a battlefield, taking what he could, the sword fittings (leaving the blades behind as too unwieldy) and anything else of value that was small enough to carry. The items would have been pried off in a rush, sometimes broken in the process. And later, the same man while traveling on Watling Street, for some reason sensed danger, went and buried the loot (it must have not only weighed a bit but been a conspicuous bundle to carry around) hoping that without it he would survive whatever waited.
Another theory could be that the hoard was to be some sort of payment. That the fittings were removed by a group of warriors from their blades and any other small items of value added for some reason and then sent with some people who waylaid or betrayed along the way. But who did manage to hide it before dying.
Either would at least explain the strange composition of the hoard, and the absence of the blades which normally would be just as valuable.

[graceserenachristie]

Cool video thanks. The red designs look Egyptian to me the sea horse is Norse. It looks to be quite a collection. Thanks. I always love a mystery with artifacts.

[debbieboring]

Well if they liked riddles they sure have kept one going for over several hundreds of years. Nice going guys.

[JETWTF]

"It's not art for art sake, it's got to mean something" archeologist 1k years from now discussing a Hello Kitty watch. That's what I think of when an archeologist says stuff like that about artifacts.

[rszaaijer]

Thank you for the warning. I will try to find the the correct one.

[gothamhandley]

I feel that the hoard was stolen and hidden by the thief- the theif was found, punished (probably imprisoned or killed) and then it couldnt be found. Also- that gold hilt looked like on owl, more than say, a wolf.

[carolelloyd]

This it the Special - Secrets of the Saxon Gold, not Time Team Guide to Burial. If anyone has the Time Team Guide to Burial I'd love to see it. It's one of the few Time Team programmes I've missed.

[rittherugger]

Just rewatching this from the US and I had a WTF second during the intro.
It only took a second between hearing "3, 000, 000 pounds of gold" and realising that what was said was "3, 000, 000 pounds worth of gold".