National Geographic Museum Blog

The Staffordshire Hoard is remarkable for the extraordinary quantity of sword fittings. Most are of gold and many are beautifully inlaid with garnets.

Such elaborate and expensive decoration would have marked out the weapon as the property of the highest echelons of nobility.

The discovery of a single sword pyramid is a notable event – to find several pairs together is absolutely unprecedented.

The sword pyramid is one of a pair. These pyramids are hollow inside, with a bar across the opening rather like on a belt buckle.

Pyramids like this have been found in a number of Anglo-Saxon graves, lying beside sword scabbards. The pyramids would have adorned a leather strap that would have been attached to a scabbard (which is a cover for a sword). Straps like this are mentioned in the Viking sagas, where they are called ‘peace bands’. They could be tied around the handle of the sword, securing it in place in the scabbard so warriors were not able to draw their swords suddenly in anger.

Source:  http://www.staffordshirehoard.org.uk/staritems/sword-pyramid

Many of the pieces in the Staffordshire Hoard are decorated using filigree, a technique which creates patterns by soldering lengths of twisted wire to a base plate. This sea-horse mount is one of the most remarkable pieces in the hoard decorated using this technique. The filigree work on it is astonishingly fine –a grain of rice is longer than three of the spirals which make up the decoration.

The top terminal is shaped into a horse’s head, with facial features distinguishable by soldered bead style filigree outlining an eye and snout.

The body then curves to form a sharp outward point, and then again to an end terminal, which looks to have broken off.

Connected to the left of this is an extended piece of fashioned gold that may have been or part of an attachment.

The body vertically divides into four columns that match its length, and within each is a continuous pattern of raised thin double coils in a filigree design.

The reverse side has no decoration and is plain except for the impression of the eye and snout

There is some discussion as to whether this mount really represents a seahorse or not. Some experts argue that the Anglo-Saxons tended not to portray animals particularly realistically and that it is better to regard this mount a showing a stylised horse’s head. Others feel that the shape is so reminiscent of the species of seahorse that lives off the coast of Britain that the maker must really have intended to picture a seahorse.

Source:

http://www.staffordshirehoard.org.uk/staritems/stylised-horse

This small stud, surrounded by gold and garnets, is a great example of early work with millefiori. Millefiori means ‘One thousand flowers’.

Millefiori is an early glasswork technique, which was also found in the Sutton Hoo haul. It is likely that this stud would have been a decorative piece on a larger item.

Source: http://www.staffordshirehoard.org.uk/staritems/millefiori-stud

At the National Geographic Museum we offer a variety of educational options to make your visit more hands on.

One of these activities is our archaeology backpack.

When entering the Anglo-Saxon Hoard: Gold From England’s Dark Ages exhibit families are encouraged to put on their explorer’s hats and accept the mission of exploration and discovery.

Throughout their mission they are encouraged to brainstorm why they believed the Hoard was buried.

Here are this week’s winners:

“One man stole the treasure from others and then buried it. He then went to battle and was killed, thus no one else knew where it was buried.”

Name: Chalotte T.

Age: 7

It might have been owned by a noble or lord who buried it to protect it.  He probably expected to come back for it but he never did.  Possibly the leader of a military group hiding it until they could rebel against a conqueror.

Name: Hicks Family

Age: 7, 9, 11

“I believe it was buried by pagans who captured it in war. They were probably going to come back for it later to melt the gold.”

Name: Isabel G.

Age: 7

[Two part answer] “Why: it was buried so that if they were captured the enemy would have no gold. [….]

Why: They were thrown into a river/creek that has long since dried up as a sacrifice.”

Name: Jack K.

Age: 12

Don’t see your theory here? Check back again!

This photo titled, Southern Right Whale, New Zealand, is one of the many photographs is the exhibit Ocean Soul currently on display at the National Geographic Museum. The following is taken from the book Ocean Soul by Brian Skerry.

It was a stunning scene—a 45-foot-long, 70-ton right whale hovering over the bottom just a few feet away from a diver standing on the bottom. … At some point I stopped and kneeled on the sand to catch my breath, and I was certain the whale would just keep swimming. Instead, the whale also stopped, turned, and hovered over me as it stared with that soulful eye. A few seconds later, I resumed swimming alongside the whale, making pictures, and savoring every second.

The exact use for the zoomorphic mount is not yet known, however it is likely that it was used as decoration on a shield.

This gold plaque shows two eagles holding a fish between them. There was a plaque with one very similar eagle on the front of the shield found in the Sutton Hoo ship burial, which we think was where King Raedwald of East Anglia was buried.

Source: http://www.staffordshirehoard.org.uk/staritems/fish-and-eagles-zoomorphic-mount

The zoomorphic mount is a gold plate. It is designed in the form of two style II eagles, facing each other and holding a fish vertically between them.
The Staffordshire Hoard plaque was quite badly damaged when it was removed. One one bird was dramatically twisted away, but you can still see traces of its talons on the body of the fish.
Source: http://www.staffordshirehoard.org.uk/staritems/fish-and-eagles-zoomorphic-mount

At the national Geographic Museum we offer a variety of educational options to make your visit more hands on.

One of these activities is out archaeology backpack.

When entering the Anglo-Saxon Hoard: Gold From England’s Dark Ages exhibit families are encouraged to put on their explorers hats and accept the mission of exploration and discovery.

Throughout their mission they are encouraged to brainstorm why they believed the Hoard was buried.

Here are this week’s winners:

Sam: I think that the treasures could have been buried either to be a sort of collection.  To remember times of glory and protect them. I also think that it was being saved for times of need to help people and give them hope.  It would be memories of triumphs.

Sophie: I think the treasure was buried by thieves to come back to retrieve it later. Also, I think the thieves meant to come back for the hoard but couldn’t so it stayed in the ground forever.    

Name: Samantha Beth S. & Sophie B.

Age: 12 & 13

My theory is that it was buried a long time ago.  They wanted to find a place so people would find it one day.  It was like a time capsule.  They came to own it because they were a king.

Name: Lily R.

Age: 9

We think there was a bottle (or many) and all the armor and weapons from soldiers that died stayed there.  Along the years soil covered the things.  We think these things are broken because of the natural disasters (earthquakes and such). That is our theory.

Name: Shira and Marcus M.

Age: 10 & 7

I think the reason why the hoard was buried was because the Anglo-Saxons were being attached by the Picts, Jutes, and Irish and wanted to hide their gold and wealth and keep it for themselves. That way no one could steal it and become wealthy and powerful.

Name: Emily B

Age: 10

Don’t see your theory here? Check back again!

Read past theories here and here.

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