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A Faulty Headset Led Detectorists to a 700-Year-Old Gold Ring Linked to an English Countess
A frustrating morning in a Suffolk field took an extraordinary turn when two metal detectorists uncovered a medieval gold seal ring. Its inscription and proximity to two religious houses have raised an intriguing possibility: the ring may once have belonged to Matilda of Lancaster, Countess of Ulster. The 13th- or 14th-century object was found in…
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11-Year-Old Girl Finds a 2,000-Year-Old Celtic Gold Coin Within Ten Minutes
An 11-year-old metal detectorist named Darcey made a discovery she is unlikely to forget when she uncovered a Celtic gold coin just ten minutes into a weekend rally at Cirencester, England. The small coin has been provisionally identified as a Selsey Dahlia gold quarter stater, a type generally dated to the first century BC. According…
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Britain Acts to Keep Rare 1,400-Year-Old Anglo-Saxon Treasure
A tiny gilded ornament discovered by a metal detectorist in Norfolk has been recognized as an object of national importance, prompting the British government to give museums an opportunity to keep it in the country. The 1,400-year-old Anglo-Saxon mount was found at Holme Hale in 2024. Although it measures only 33.7 millimeters and weighs five…
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Rare Bronze Age “Button” Found with Usable Axes Deepens Mystery of Norfolk Hoard
A small metal object found beside two Bronze Age axes in Norfolk may look like a button, but archaeologists cannot yet say whether it ever fastened clothing. Its discovery raises a broader question: why were two usable axes deposited alongside such an unusual object around 3,000 years ago? Metal detectorists discovered the objects near Barton…
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1,000-Year-Old Runic Ring Discovered in Lincolnshire May Mark an Unknown Anglo-Saxon Elite Site
A small silver-gilt ring discovered in a Lincolnshire field is drawing unusual attention from archaeologists—not for its size, but for what it suggests about identity, literacy, and status in early medieval England. The ring was found by metal detectorist Rafal Wesolowski near Quadring and later recorded by the Portable Antiquities Scheme (PAS) under the reference…