Some of the items found in Saxon Hoard - Pic: portableantiquities

Some of the items found in Saxon Hoard - Pic: portableantiquities

Staff at Tamworth Castle have been taking a detailed look at the Staffordshire Hoard that was unveiled last week online and at Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery and are excited at the possible links to the towns history.

The Hoard which was discovered by Metal Detectorist Terry Herbert in a still undisclosed location is believed to date back from the late sixth (590AD) century to eighth century (790AD).  All the items recovered so far are masculine and weaponry related, including items such as swords, hilts, fragments of helmets and hilt collars.

In the late sixth century, England didn’t exist.  Tamworth was the capital of Mercia and those involved with Tamworth Castle are excited at the links this find may have with the town.

In around 584AD, the first Mercian King, Creoda came to power and built a fortress not far from Tamworth Castle which became the seat of the Mercian Kings.  King Offa reigned Mercia from 755 to 796 A.D. and historical studies have shown that Tamworth was an important meeting place for Offa’s Mercian Bretwalda (overlord) as well as his court and his bishops.

We also know that Mercia was a militarily aggressive kingdom and it is possible that the items could have been collected by any of the kings based in the capital during their wars with Northumbria and East Anglia. Early thoughts are that the hoard may represent the finds of a single battle or be the product of a long military career.

Whilst nothing is confirmed at the moment, the links can be seen with the towns history.  Councillor Jeremy Oates said of this discovery:

“We have always been extremely proud of Tamworth’s history and are delighted at the discovery of the hoard because of its potential links to Tamworth.

“Although the experts still have a lot to learn about the full story of the hoard we are confident that this fantastic local discovery will help us increase our knowledge of the people that lived in and around our town in Anglo-Saxon Times.

“As the site of the capital of ancient Mercia we would be thrilled to see an exhibition of the Saxon hoard come to Tamworth and are investigating how we can make this become a reality for the people of Tamworth. We can think of no better place to host such a display than Tamworth Castle which is already home to a wealth of information about Tamworth’s heritage”.

The Staffordshire Hoard is currently on show at Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery and you can also see the hoard online at http://www.staffordshirehoard.org.uk or view the photos on Portable Antiques Flickr site.