Archeology and important finds | Tha Engliscan Gesithas

The Cuerdale Hoard, British Museum [CC BY-SA 3.0]

On 15th May 1840 according to the Preston Chronicle:

‘the numismatic collectors and connoiseurs (sic) are quite in a furor about the matter, and the spot where the treasure was found has, since the discovery, been more zealously scratched than any dunghill in the best populated poultry yard!’

The immense Cuerdale Hoard had been discovered by workmen repairing an embankment on the banks of the Ribble in Lancashire. The land was on the estate of Downham Hall, owned by William Assheton (who was in Italy at the time), and there was hot dispute as to who owned the Hoard; it seems that three parcels were separated from the finds. One was displayed at the Hall, one was taken by Assheton’s steward for his master, and one was removed by Joseph Kenyon, a local coin collector. It was further reported at the time that the workmen had also managed to carry off some pieces in their pockets or boots and offered them for sale later. Later many of these items were returned but an early drawing of the “display” items includes a lost silver finger-ring. Kenyon also seems to have retained a number of rare or unique coins himself, which were later sold from his collection, and indeed stray items appeared for sale by private collectors over the years which almost certainly had originated in the Cuerdale find. As late as 1956, more than 100 years after it was found, a bequest was made to the British Museum which included items from the hoard. This dispersal among more than 170 recipients means that the Hoard as a whole is now distributed across such a number of collections, both known and unknown, that appreciating its full value is challenging.

While cataloguing the coins was an immediate priority, listing the other material was not completed. The Blackburn Standard (19 August 1840) reported that “There are sixteen large bars or ingots averaging 6¼ oz [recte: 8¼ oz] and weighing in the aggregate 132oz. Each of these has a cross upon it, and they are said to be marks, being of the value of 160 of the smaller coins.”

The identified components of the hoard are nevertheless extraordinary. It includes more than 7,000 coins, hack-silver and silver ingots, and 1,153 non-numismatic silver objects including English and Carolingian jewellery. The estimated total weight of the Hoard is around 31.9kg of which about 10kg is unaccounted for.

The majority of the Anglo-Saxon coins date from the last three decades of the ninth century. Two series of coins in the hoard can be attributed to the Vikings in East Anglia at around the same date, linked to “Æþelstan” which was Guthrum’s baptismal name. The largest group within the hoard is now firmly attributed to the northern Danelaw. In addition there are around 1000 Carolingian coins, as well as 50 Islamic, a few Scandinavian, one Byzantine coin and some Viking issue coins which are unattributable.

It is believed that it was buried around 900-910 AD by Vikings, and historically it is tempting to link it either to those who had been driven out of Dublin in 902 AD (although this is considered to be rather early for the deposition), or following the Viking defeat at the Battle of Tettenhall in 910 AD. However, such precise dating is not possible.

The hoard is one of at least 18 Viking hoards recorded between the late 860s and 927 AD when King Æþelstan defeated the Viking rulers of York, although in fact only one hoard, the “North Yorkshire” hoard, is dated earlier than Cuerdale.

The rings found in the hoard were mostly for personal use, for wear around the neck, arm or finger (there were no ear-rings at this time). Primarily this was for display, although they would also be broken into hack-silver when required. Because some of the items are so plain it may be that their use as hack-silver was actually their main purpose.

Fragments of brooches were found but these appear to have been reduced to hack silver in advance of being deposited. Items from the hoard are held in various public and private collections: the British Museum; the Assheton collection (on loan to the British Museum); the Evans collection (Ashmolean Museum, Oxford); the Nelson collection (Liverpool World Museum); and the Harris Museum, Preston), as well as other museums and private collections including the Fitzwilliam Museum, Cambridge; Museum of Scotland, Edinburgh; University Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology, Cambridge; Society of Antiquaries of London; Alnwick Castle Museum; Blunt collection; and McCoy collection

Great square-headed brooch from Chessell Down — Great square-headed brooch, early 6th century, Early Anglo-Saxon, From Grave 22, Chessell Down, Isle of Wight © Trustees of the British Museum

The Chessell Down Brooch is a silver-gilt and niello square-headed brooch found at Chessell Down on the Isle of Wight in 1855. It was in the grave of a woman from the 5^th-6^th century together with two stamped pendants, a pair of tweezers, an iron knife and a waist buckle.

The style of decoration reflects a Scandinavian influence. The brooch is divided into a number of sections. The rectangular head plate has two crouching animals, back to back, in the border, with scrolling metalwork down the sides in Roman style. The inner panel is divided in two by a human face, with a complex image on each side of two hybrid animal bodies with human heads. These are so stylised they are very hard to make out!

Next is a plain section leading down to the foot-plate. Again there are more animals, their open jaws ending in smaller heads and curving around another human face. The necks curve on down to frame the central panel. On either side are two lobes with a human face in each. Again the border continues down on each side with back to back creatures leading down to a disc at the terminal.

In the central panel is a bearded face with a cap or hair ending in bird heads pointing outwards.

All of the images are intricate and hard to decipher – at least to most of us! But we can pick out some probable messages from among the extraordinary richness and complexity.

We can see, for instance, that the brooch is expensive. The materials are luxurious and, combined with the craftsmanship required to create it, the brooch reflects the prestige and status of the owner.

Undoubtedly the form of decoration would have carried meaning about social and probably religious relationships and membership of specific groups or affiliations.

It is also likely the images reflect stories and traditions known to the wearer and those with whom they came into contact. The brooch was probably also intended to provide the wearer with protection and good fortune. The central bearded face, for example, may well represent Woden with ravens. The other images may also represent creatures and characters from legend, perhaps intended to ward off evil or to imbue strength, courage, wealth or success in battle. The borders frame each segment into its own story or message.