Hoard of two,000-year-old Iron Age objects price £254k could also be ‘most essential discovery in UK’
Archaeologists have discovered over 800 cauldrons, chariots and spears in a huge North Yorkshire iron age hoard thought to be worth £254,000 as part of one of the most important Iron Age finds in the country
Archaeologists have found extraordinary items that are around 2,000 years old in a small village in rural North Yorkshire, including cauldrons, chariots and spears from the time of the Roman invasion of Britain.
The unique time capsule was found in Melsonby, a small, rural village between Darlington, Barnard Castle and Richmond. The Iron Age was a period of significant technological and societal developments and the flourishing of Celtic culture.
The items are thought to date back to the time of the Roman invasion of southern Britain. A metal detectorist first made the lucky discovery in December 2021, before it was excavated by archaeological experts the following year.
The site is a treasure trove of discovery for boffins, featuring the remains of seven four-wheeled wagons and two-wheeled chariots.
It also includes beautifully detailed harnesses for at least 14 horses, three ceremonial spears and two vessels, one which was likely used as a wine mixing bowl.
The Melsonby Hoard harnesses were adorned with coloured glass, ranging from red to Mediterranean coral.
One of the cauldrons is decorated with a mask of a human face.
Items most closely related to the ones discovered in Melsonby are in continental Europe, showing just how far Roman connections went and how they shared technology.
Archaeologists used X-ray CT scans to identify objects in the area, all of which are valued at £254,000.
They also found spears, cast copper alloy bridle bits, linchpins, harness fittings and rein rings in a cluster of 28 iron tyres from horse-drawn vehicles.
The finds are expected reveal how Iron Age people showed off their wealth and how they travelled and traded.
Some of the objects were broken or burnt, suggesting that their owners were rich enough to destroy the objects.
Historic England funded the excavation and it was led by Durham University archaeologists, with special support from the British Museum.
Head of the Department of Archaeology at Durham University Professor Tom Moore said: “The Melsonby Hoard is of a scale and size that is exceptional for Britain and probably even Europe.
“Unusually it includes lots of pieces of vehicles and items such as the wine mixing bowl which is decorated in both Mediterranean and Iron Age styles.
“Whoever originally owned the material in this hoard was probably a part of a network of elites across Britain, into Europe and even the Roman world.
“The destruction of so many high-status objects, evident in this hoard, is also of a scale rarely seen in Iron Age Britain and demonstrates that the elites of northern Britain were just as powerful as their southern counterparts.”
Chief Executive of Historic England Duncan Wilson added: “Quite simply, this is one of the most important and exciting Iron Age period discoveries made in the UK.
“It sheds new light on Iron Age life in the north and Britain, but it also demonstrates connections with Europe.”
In an attempt to secure the hoard Yorkshire Museum is launching a fundraising campaign.
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