51°03′37″N 1°19′45″W / 51.060386°N 1.329201°W
Winchester Hoard | |
---|---|
Material | Gold |
Size | 10 jewellery pieces |
Period/culture | Iron Age |
Discovered | near Winchester, Hampshire by Kevan Halls in 2000 |
Present location | Room 50, British Museum, London |
Identification | P&EE 2001 9-1 1-10 |
The Winchester Hoard is a hoard of Iron Age gold found in a field in the Winchester area of Hampshire, England, in 2000, by a retired florist[1][2] and amateur metal detectorist, Kevan Halls. It was declared treasure and valued at £350,000—the highest reward granted under the Treasure Act 1996 at that time.
The hoard consists of two sets of jewellery of a very high purity of gold dating from 75 to 25 BCE. Although, the items pre-date the Roman conquest of Britain in 43 CE, the manufacturing technology was Roman rather than Celtic. The total weight of the items is nearly 1,160 g (41 oz).
The find was described as "the most important discovery of Iron Age gold objects" for fifty years;[3] and the items were probably an "expensive", "diplomatic gift".[1] The brooches alone were "the third discovery of its kind from Britain".
The Winchester Hoard is now housed at the British Museum in London.