Experts date the necklace to 630–670 AD. A team from the Museum of London Archaeology (MOLA) discovered the early medieval piece during excavations in Northamptonshire, England. The digs were carried out ahead of construction of a residential complex in Harpole. The necklace and other burial finds have been dubbed the Harpole Treasure.
MOLA says it’s the most valuable Anglo-Saxon necklace ever found in Britain. Live Science reports it belonged to a woman of high status.
MOLA restorers cleaned and reconstructed the rare piece. The ornament, about 1,300 years old, looks surprisingly modern. It is adorned with pendants and beads made from Roman coins, gold, garnets, glass, and semi-precious stones. The centerpiece is a rectangular pendant featuring a gold cross inlaid with garnets. Archaeologists think that piece was originally part of a clasp before being converted into a pendant.
What Else Archaeologists Found
The MOLA team says nothing like the Harpole Treasure has been found in Britain before. A few roughly similar ornaments have appeared elsewhere in England, but none are as richly decorated as this necklace.
Alongside the necklace, archaeologists found two decorated clay pots, a copper dish, and an exquisite cross cast in silver that features human faces in the woman’s grave. Researchers think the items may have belonged to a woman who was an early Christian leader (possibly an abbess) or a member of the royal family, or both.
Experts also reported that only a few small fragments of dental enamel remain from her skeleton.
Levente-Bence Balazs, who led the excavation, said the team will now conduct a more thorough analysis of the finds using modern scientific methods to better understand the person buried here and the rituals that accompanied her burial.
Simon Mortimer, a leading archaeology expert, said discoveries like this happen once in a lifetime. He added that it’s the sort of thing you read about in textbooks but never expect to see in person.
