Secrets of the Staffordshire Hoard

Sunday 14th March 2010

The hoard, the experts say, is 7th-century gangland bling, revealing a fascinating story about power, territory, violence and gang rivalry. It was found in the region of Mercia, now known as the West Midlands, scene of many bloody tribal battles. It is the first big Anglo-Saxon find unearthed in west England, and it’s having a huge impact on our understanding of the Dark Ages. Previously the most celebrated find from this period was at Sutton Hoo, the burial ship uncovered in Suffolk in 1939, thought by many historians to be the grave of Raedwald, king of the East Angles. Archaeologists assumed there would be immense wealth in Mercia from this period, but had never found it, until now. This is why the hoard is so important: it shifts the focus of Anglo-Saxon study from the east to the west