‘Mind-blowing’ 3,000-year-old piece of gold jewellery discovered buried in an Essex field found to be rare Bronze Age neck ring from 1300BC
- The ring was discovered in a field near Mistley on the River Stour
A ‘mind-blowing’ piece of 3,000-year-old gold jewellery has been found by a metal detectorist in Essex.
A fragment of a torc – a decorative neck ring – was discovered in a field near Mistley on the River Stour.
The Bronze Age artefact has now been officially declared as treasure by a coroner, and is the first gold torc found in the county to be reported as such.
Finds liaison officer Lori Rogerson said that the discovery was ‘mind-blowing’, adding that the torc ‘could have been made yesterday’.
She said: ‘Gold metalwork from the Bronze Age is rare from Essex.
A fragment of a torc – a decorative neck ring – was discovered in a field near Mistley on the River Stour
The Bronze Age artefact has now been officially declared as treasure by a coroner, and is the first gold torc found in the county to be reported as such
‘It’s always nice to work with prehistoric gold, but you have to remind yourself it is over 3,000 years old.’ The piece of jewellery, which was found three years ago, is 5.7in long and dates to about 1300 BC.
It is made from at least 75 per cent gold, about 18 per cent silver and some copper, according to British Museum experts.
A ‘highly skilled’ goldsmith would have made it by carefully twisting a rectangular rod.
Ms Rogerson said: ‘He or she would have known just the right point to stop before it broke.’
The unnamed metal detectorist reported the find to the Portable Antiquities Scheme, a programme which encourages the recording of archaeological objects found by members of the public.
As the torc has been deemed treasure, it must now be offered for sale to a museum at a price set by an independent board of experts.
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