<< News >> Iron Age gold coins will stay in Norfolk
Submitted by PaulM on Thursday, 23 December 2004 Page Views: 2089
Iron Age and Later PrehistoryCountry: England County: NorfolkInternal Links:
An Iron Age hoard of gold coins found in Norfolk was last night destined for a permanent home in the county. The mud-filled end of a cow's leg bone containing 20 Gallo-Belgic E coins or staters, which date from 60-50BC, was unearthed at the Sedgeford Historical and Archeological Project (Sharp), near Hunstanton, in August 2003.
Nineteen other coins had already been discovered at the site of the annual summer excavation – 11 in 2003 and eight in previous years, making 39 in total.
The hoard, which caused widespread interest in archaeological circles, has been in the care of the British Museum since being brought to light by metal detectorist Kevin Woodward.
But now Lynn Museum at King's Lynn is poised to buy it following a successful funding bid.
The hoard, classified as treasure at an inquest a year ago, is expected to be one of the key attractions for visitors when the museum – currently closed – reopens early in 2006 after a £1m redevelopment.
Temporary exhibitions will be installed initially, pending the arrival of the conserved timbers of Norfolk's Bronze Age timber circle, Seahenge, and the unveiling of permanent displays the following year.
The £4000 needed to pay for the hoard has been raised by the Friends of King's Lynn Museums, and contributions from the Museums, Libraries and Archives/Victoria and Albert purchase grant fund and the Headley Trust, which was established to help museums acquire items declared as treasure.
"It's great news," said area museums officer Robin Hanley. "We've been keeping a close eye on what's been happening and throughout the process, which inevitably takes a long time, we have made it clear that we would be interested in trying to raise the money to get hold of it.
"We are obviously thinking very much about how we include it within our display in the Lynn Museum which is telling the West Norfolk story.
"It's super," said Dr Hanley. "It was a find which I think captured the imagination of local people when it came to light -and in terms of the part of the story relating to the Iceni and the Iron Age, it will be great making a feature of the hoard within the display.
"We have also got other Icenian coins and other collections from that period, and other material from Sedgeford.
"What we are going to try and do with all our displays is provide links to places to visit other projects and so on, so there will certainly be something in there about the Sedgeford project."
Sharp, which aims ultimately to build up a complete history of Sedgeford, began in 1996 and has involved the extensive evacuation of a Saxon cemetery in the valley of the Heacham River.
About 200 skeletons, and evidence of an Iron Age settlement, have so far been uncovered.
Dr Neil Faulkner, founder director of the project, told the EDP he was "very pleased" the hoard was returning to Norfolk.
"Our policy all along has been that as far as possible we want local curation and display of the materials from Sedgeford.
"Obviously these are among the most spectacular things we've discovered and it's right that they should be accessible to local people," he said.
Source: EDP24.co.uk
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