Iron Age Jewellery

Iron Age torcs made in the third or fourth century BC have been discovered by two amateur treasure hunters.

18:21 01 March 2017

Two life-long friends have discovered jewellery that could be the oldest Iron Age gold ever discovered in Britain. The duo unearthed four torcs – three necklaces and one bracelet – on a farmland in Staffordshire Moorlands in December.

 

Experts estimate the Iron Age torcs to be 2,5000 years old. They also believe that the jewellery were made in Europe, possibly in Germany or France.

 

Two of the pieces are made of twisted gold wire while the other two have trumpet shaped finials. Meanwhile, the bracelet features stunning Celtic decorations believed to be some of the earliest Celtic art from Britain.

 

Dr Julia Farley, curator of British & European Iron Age collections for the British Museum, said: 'This unique find is of international importance. It dates to around 400-250 BC, and is probably the earliest Iron Age gold work ever discovered in Britain.

 

'The torcs were probably worn by wealthy and powerful women, perhaps people from the continent who had married into the local community.

 

'Piecing together how these objects came to be carefully buried in a Staffordshire field will give us an invaluable insight into life in Iron Age Britain.'