A Greek and elegant necklace was discovered in an early Christian burial dating back to the 7th century AD. It was presented by scholars at the Museum of London Archaeology (MOLA).
The necklace they called the “Harpole Treasure” is unique because it probably belonged to a powerful female religious leader. At a time when Christianity was taking root in England, women played a vital role in spreading new religious practices.
The necklace was found in a grave near Northampton in central England. It contains a substantial central piece designed with red garnets arranged in a cross pattern. Surrounding the cross are 30 pendants. Eight are Roman gold coins and the remainder are unspecified cabochon cut stones set in gold frames.
MOLA experts have published a comparative picture. This shows the necklace in its current state along with a computer rendering of what it looked like when it was brand new.
The Harpole treasure dates to a period between 630 and 670 AD. Its discovery was made on the penultimate day of an eight-week excavation.
The excavation was part of a routine planning process that has to be done by property developers in the UK. The project was funded by the Vistry Group, who were planning a housing development on the site. The treasure was named after the village where it was found.
“This finding is truly a once-in-a-lifetime discovery. The kind of things you read about in textbooks. Not something you expect to see in the ground in front of you,” archaeologist Simon Mortimer said in a statement.
A MOLA site supervisor, who thought he was picking out an ancient garbage pit, accidentally stumbled upon the necklace.
Initially, Levente-Bence Balázs stumbled upon the crowns of two teeth. Then he saw a flash of light from the rectangular pendant that formed the centerpiece of the necklace.
“In 17 years of excavating sites, this was the first time I found gold,” he told CNN. “It's not just the artifacts, it's the size of the find.”.
The teeth and jewellery signaled to Balázs that he had discovered a burial site. After further excavation, scientists confirmed that the jewellery was part of a “burial in bed” ritual. Where high-ranking women were buried with their beds along with valuables.
In this case, the woman had next to her two decorated clay vases made in France or Belgium and a shallow bronze plate. Near the pile they also found an elaborate silver cross, cast with the likenesses of four human faces. This would probably have been placed on the chest of the pious woman during her burial.
Senior MOLA finds expert Lyn Blackmore told CNN that the later Christian tombs did not contain jewellery. That's because the Christian church frowned on the practice of burying the dead with their valuables.
All the objects discovered at the Harpole site are being meticulously analysed by MOLA conservators. They hope to find clues as to how the objects were used in life or during burial ceremonies.
The British television network BBC Two will show Harpole's treasure in its series entitled Digging for Britain. It will air in January 2023.
