Sorry for the following rant, I’m in a bad mood today after the office changed to Agile Working and so I no longer have my own desk……

 

First of all - “a new discovery such as this can help to illuminate our understanding of 8th and early 9th century England” – How? How exactly does another piece of decorated Anglo Saxon metal work change our understanding of that period in the slightest? We already know that their craftwork was excellent, I fail to see how this piece adds to our understanding and can only assume that the word “illuminate” is being used very deliberately here to mean that it will look good on the front of booklets/pamphlets etc.

 

Secondly, I wish DCMS would react half this strongly when someone trashes a scheduled monument. The reaction is in complete disproportion to the quantity and quality of information that can be gathered. Does this broach tell us what Anglo Saxon people ate? How they built their houses? How they treated each other?

 

As for Neil’s question, I think this raises an important point as, if we don’t know where it came from then in my mind it has no significance whatsoever particularly as it may not even be authentic. If we don’t even know if it was a stray find, deliberate hoard, or funeral item then it’s value is even further diminished. If our culture still places much greater emphasis on shiny, unprovenanced, metal work than carefully excavated archaeological sites then why exactly are we all wasting our time trying to be scientific and professional?

 

 

 

Dear All,

 

See link  https://www.gov.uk/government/news/rare-8th-century-brooch-at-risk-of-leaving-the-uk . Anybody know where it comes from?

 

Cheers,

Neil

 

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