Fresh dig at Staffordshire hoard treasure site

[Melvadius]

BBC has just announced that further excavations are going to be held at the site where the Staffordshire Hoard was found in an attempt to learn more about the landscape in the period when the hoard was buried in particular looking for evidence of structures or pits.

 

Another dig is to be held at the site of where the UK's largest haul of Anglo-Saxon treasure was discovered.

 

The original find of 1,500 gold and silver pieces was made by metal detectorist Terry Herbert in a farmer's field in Staffordshire in July 2009.

 

Experts say the new dig is not expected to turn up any more gold, but could reveal how the original items came to be there.

 

Items from the hoard are on display in Stoke-on-Trent and Birmingham.

 

Stoke-on-Trent City Council's chief archaeologist Stephen Dean said the dig was to put the find into some some of context.

 

"We are trying to find features which could tell us what the landscape was like when the hoard was buried," he said.

 

"We might be looking for pits, ditches, for some structural evidence if any exists."

 

There is no evidence of any buildings there at the moment, he added.

 

Fund supporters

 

Stoke-on-Trent City Council is working with Birmingham City Council and the Arts Fund to raise