For the first time, all 4,000 pieces of the UKs largest treasure trove, the Staffordshire Hoard, have been brought together in secret to be analysed by experts. The Anglo-Saxon metalwork and gold was found in a field nearly five years ago by a local man with his metal detector. Usually split between museums in Birmingham and Stoke-on-Trent, it is unlikely the pieces will ever be in one place again. After 12,000 hours of cleaning the items with natural thorns to remove mud without scratching the delicate metalwork, intricate detail has been revealed. Deb Klemperer, curator at the Potteries Museum and Art Gallery, said: Science has shown us in the last two years how exciting the workmanship is for us, in that the gold was alloyed with copper and silver to make it stronger. But then they had to make it look blingier and twinkly so they worked some acid into the surface but we dont know what yet, and leached out the copper and silver so it looked gold again, bright gold....
Posted on: Wed, 12 Mar 2014 07:52:22 +0000
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