A gold Iron Age hoard ©
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Found in the Winchester area, Hampshire, by Mr Kevan Halls, while searching with a metal detector, who found a selection of gold brooches, chains, collars, bows, bracelets and a torc dating from the 1st century AD. The collar, bracelet and brooches are pictured. Reported to the Hampshire PAS Finds Liaison Officer, Sally Worrell.

The finds comprise the most important discoveries of Iron Age gold objects made in the last 50 years. The hoard seems to contain two sets of personal jewellery, and the gold brooches are extremely rare: only 12 have been discovered in Europe north of the Alps dating from this time, although this style of brooch ( a 'fibula') was commonly made in iron or bronze. The most unusual pieces are the necklace torcs. Although these are versions of traditional Iron Age torcs, they have been made using Roman or Hellenistic Greek technology.

By JD Hill, British Museum

Discover more amazing finds at the Portable Antiquities Scheme database.

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