Stæffordscīr hord
[[Biliþ:Staffordshire_hoard_annotated.jpg|thumb|250px|right|Searucēap þæs hordes]]

Þæt '''Stæffordscīr Hord''' is gylden and seolfren searucēapa hord of þǣre Angulseaxisce ielde þæt man āfunded in æccre on [[Stæffordscīr]]e, on [[England|Englum]] on 5 Mǣdmōnaþ 2009. Þæt hord hæfþ ymbe endleofen pundas of golde and 5.5 pundas of seolfre and hit is þæt mǣste sƿylce hord of þǣre ielde þe man hæfþ ā gefunden. Be micelnesse is hit mār þonne þæt 3.3 punda hord þæt man gefunded in þǣre [[Sūþtūn Hōh]] [[scipbyrgen]]ne in 1939.<ref name="guardian">{{cite web|url=http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2009/sep/24/anglo-saxon-treasure-hoard-gold-staffordshire-metal-detector|title=Largest ever hoard of Anglo-Saxon gold found in Staffordshire|publisher=Guardian}}</ref><ref name="bbc">{{cite web|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/staffordshire/8272058.stm|title=Huge Anglo-Saxon gold hoard found|publisher=BBC.co.uk}}</ref>

Stǣrmenn āliefað ðe ðæt Stæffordscīr Hord is of ymbe 675–725 AD.  In þāra gearum ƿæs his æcer on [[Mierce|Miercna rice]].

<!--  ''To aƿendienne on Englisc''
==Fandung==
Terry Herbert of [[Burntwood]] on Stæffordscīre, an amateur [[metal detectorist]] of 18 wintrum, uncovered a few scraps of gold on friend tūne nēah [[Liccidfeld]] in Mǣdmōnaþ 2009.<ref name="bbc"/><ref name="telegraph250909">{{cite web |url=http://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/culturenews/6227061/Largest-Anglo-Saxon-hoard-in-history-discovered.html |title=Largest Anglo-Saxon hoard in history discovered |publisher=[[Daily Telegraph]] |accessdate=2009-09-26}}</ref>  The hoard was reported to the local officer of the [[Portable Antiquities Scheme]] and was then declared [[maðm]] be Sūðernum Stæffordscīre [[Coroner#England and Wales|coroner]], meaning it belongs to [[The Crown|the Crown]]. The hoard is believed to be worth in excess of £1 million, which will be shared with the landowner and Herbert.<ref name="guardian"/>

Following the discovery archaeological recovery of the hoard was completed by [[Birmingham Archaeology]] (part of the [[University of Birmingham]]) and Staffordshire County Council, under the direction of Roger Bland, head of portable antiquities and treasure at the [[British Museum]]. Due to the importance of the find the site of the hoard has been kept secret, though no traces of any graves, buildings or other structures have been found.<ref name="guardian"/>  The discovery was announced on [[24 September]] [[2009]], with the site being reported as "near [[Burntwood]]".<ref name=telegraph/>

The objects are currently conserved in the [[Birmingham Museum & Art Gallery]] where they have gone on display before being transferred to the [[British Museum]]. As of 24 September 2009, 1,345 objects have been recovered, but [[X-rays]] of unexamined lumps of earth suggest that there are more to be revealed. Early analysis established that the hoard was not associated with a burial.

==Geƿyrðe==
[[Biliþ:Staffordshire hoard annotated.jpg|thumb|left|Pieces discovered at the hoard site (click for item annotations)]] 
Þæt hord consists of over 1,500&nbsp;items.<ref name=ca/> The contents include finely worked silver and gold sword decorations removed from weaponry, including 66&nbsp;gold [[Hilt|sword hilt]] collars and many gold hilt plates, some with [[inlays]]<ref name="sh"/> of  [[cloisonné]] [[garnet]] in [[zoomorphism|zoomorphic]] designs (see lead picture).<ref name="pa">{{cite web |url=http://www.staffordshirehoard.org.uk/file_download/4/staffordshirehoardhandlist.zip |title=Catalogue of the objects |publisher=Portable Antiquities Scheme |page=82 |quote=449 ... Gold ... Sword Hilt Collar |accessdate=2009-09-24}}</ref> The Staffordshire Hoard official press statement notes that the only items in the hoard that are obviously non-martial are two (or possibly three) crosses. The largest of the three crosses is missing some decorative settings (yet some are present but detached) but otherwise remains intact, and it may have been an [[altar cross|altar]] or [[processional cross]]. Yet the cross is folded; either prior to burial "to make it fit into a small space" or as a sign that the burial deposit was made by [[Anglo-Saxon paganism|pagans]]. On the other hand, the statement notes, "Christians were also quite capable of despoiling each other's shrines."<ref name=ca/>

One of the objects is a small strip of gold inscribed on both sides with a well known [[Læden]] quotation{{#tag:ref|This phrase, used in the [[liturgy]] for consecration of churches, is from [[Book of Numbers|Numbers]] 10:35, and appears in [[Psalm]] 67:2 in the form ''"exsurgat Deus et dissipentur inimici eius et fugiant qui oderunt eum a facie eius"''.  The apparent mistakes are due to the engraver's error and common Medieval spelling variants.<ref name="sh"/>|group="note"}} from the [[Old Testament]]:  <small>SURGE DNE DISEPENTUR INIMICI TUI ET FUGENT QUI ODERUNT TE A FACIE TUA</small> (''"Surge Domine et dissipentur inimici tui et fugiant qui oderunt te a facie tua"''), which translates as: "Rise up, Lord; may Your enemies be scattered and those who hate You be driven from Your face."<ref name="ca">{{cite web |url=http://www.archaeology.co.uk/staffordshire-hoard/the-inscriptions.htm |title=The Inscriptions |work=Current Archaeology |accessdate=2009-09-24}}</ref>

Michelle Brown, Professor of Medieval Manuscripts Studies in London, believes that, based on the use of [[uncial]] letter forms, the style of lettering used implies a date of 7th or early 8th&nbsp;century, whereas Professor Elisabeth Okasha of [[University College Cork]], an expert on early medieval inscriptions, has identified traits in the [[insular majuscule]] script that are similar to later inscriptions datable to the 8th or early 9th&nbsp;century.<ref name="ca">{{cite web |url=http://www.archaeology.co.uk/staffordshire-hoard/the-inscriptions.htm |title=The Inscriptions |work=Current Archaeology |accessdate=2009-09-24}}</ref><ref name="cork">{{cite web |url=http://www.ucc.ie/en/mandc/news/fullstory,83096,en.html |title=UCC Expert Called in by British Museum |publisher=[[University College Cork]] |accessdate=2009-09-25}}</ref> 

Most of the other treasures unearthed in the hoard appear to be military-related and the strip may have been fastened originally to a shield or a sword belt.<ref name="ap">{{cite web |url=http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5j6bU4AZHX9m-PnJ7hHtgYNxlgpdgD9ATNGLO1 |last=Satter |first=Raphael G. |title=Largest hoard of Anglo-Saxon treasure found in UK |publisher=[[Associated Press]] |accessdate=2009-09-24}}</ref> There are no domestic objects, such as vessels or eating utensils, or feminine jewellery, which are the more common Anglo-Saxon gold finds, and reportedly, the contents "show every sign of being carefully selected".<ref name="sh">{{cite web |url=http://www.staffordshirehoard.org.uk/file_download/5/summaryofhoard.pdf |title=The Staffordshire Hoard: Discovery and Initial Assessment |publisher=Portable Antiquities Scheme |accessdate=2009-09-24}}</ref>

==Diht==
Michael Lewis, the Deputy head of Portable Antiquities Scheme at the British Museum, notes that there are two main possibilities for the purpose of the burial of the hoard: either it was a [[votive offering|votive deposit]] (an offering to gods) or "a treasure chest that got lost, or they couldn't come back for it." Lewis comments that "from my 21st-century perspective, I find it bewildering that someone could shove so much metalwork into the ground as an offering. That seems like overkill."<ref name="hoardshineslight">{{cite web|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/8272848.stm|title=Hoard Shines Light on Dark Ages|publisher=[[News.bbc.co.uk]]|accessdate=2009-09-25|author=Lewis, Michael}}</ref>

Kevin Leahy, National Finds Adviser of the Portable Antiquities Scheme, says that the quantity of gold is "amazing" and that, "more importantly, the craftsmanship is consummate, this was the very best that the Anglo-Saxon metalworkers could do, and they were very good." Leahy says that the finds must originate from the "very highest-levels of Saxon aristocracy or royalty. It belonged to the elite." Leahy comments that the find does not consist simply of loot, pointing out that swords were specifically singled out, that most of the gold and silver items appear to have been intentionally removed from the objects they were previously attached to, and that, if the depositer was just after the gold, fittings from sword belts would have been discovered. Leahy theorizes that the intention behind the removal of the gold fittings may have been to depersonalise the objects; removing the identity of the previous owners. The blades may have then been reused.<ref name="leahy">{{cite web|url=http://www.staffordshirehoard.org.uk/about/|accessdate=2009-09-26|title=The Staffordshire Hoard: Kevin Leahy's Interpretation}}</ref>

Leahy observes that the hoard appears to be a collection of trophies, yet that it is impossible to say whether the hoard consists of the spoils of a single battle or is the result of a long series of successful military engagements. Leahy notes that "we also cannot say who the original, or the final, owners were, who took it from them, why they buried it or when. It will be debated for decades." In addition, Leahy states that the reason for the burial is unknown. Leahy theorizes that the deposit "may have been tribute to pagan gods or concealed in the face of a perceived, but all too real, threat, which led to it not being recovered." Leahy notes that further work will result in a better understanding of how the hoard came to be buried.<ref name="leahy"/>
Leahy points out that the find includes dozens of [[Sword#Terminology|pommel caps]]—decorative attachments to sword handles—and that ''[[Beoƿulf]]'' contains a reference to warriors stripping the pommels of their enemies' swords.<ref name="statter">Raphael G. Satter, "Treasures Shed Light on Dark Ages", (Washington, D.C.) ''Express'', September 25, 2009, p. 7.</ref>

==Spellcƿide==
Stæffordscīr ƿæs [[Miercna rīce]]s dǣl in the 7th and 8th centuries, an era for which written texts are scant, aside from [[Beda]], hƿæs ''[[Historia ecclesiastica gentis Anglorum]]'', finished in 731, was written from the Christian perspective of a monk in [[Northumbria]]; Bede, however, appears to have had no contacts in Mercia.<ref>[[Barbara Yorke]], "The Origins of Mercia" in M.&nbsp;P. Brown and C.&nbsp;A. Farr, ''Mercia: an Anglo-Saxon kingdom in Europe'', 2005:100.</ref> Archaeology and other contemporary literary sources (such as ''[[Brut y Tywysogion]]'') are used to gather information regarding the missing cultural history.

Michael Lewis opines that attempting to link the hoard to a particular individual is not realistic. He notes that, during the period from which the hoard dates, some rulers from Mercia are well known, including [[Penda Miercna Cyning|Penda]] and [[Offa Miercna Cyning|Offa]]. Penda ruled slightly before the period of the hoard, and "Offa is right at the end, so it has to be someone in the middle." Moreover, the historical record for the period shows a dependency on Bede, who wrote from a Christian perspective, yet the Mercians at the time were likely pagans, and therefore "could have been overlooked by Bede even though they might have been important, because he wasn't interested in them — for whatever reason." Lewis comments that the hoard will assist in looking back at literary sources and historical figures with more scrutiny.<ref name=hoardshineslight/>

==Tacnung==
The hoard has been described by Leslie Webster, former keeper of the department of prehistory at the British Museum, as "absolutely the metalwork equivalent of finding a new [[Lindisfarne Gospels]] or [[Book of Kells]]" and stated further that "this is going to alter our perceptions of Anglo-Saxon England as radically, if not more so, as the [[Sutton Hoo]] discoveries".<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.staffordshirehoard.org.uk/about/ |title=The Staffordshire Hoard: Comments sent to us}}</ref>

Bland said: "It is a fantastically important discovery. It is assumed that the items were buried by their owners at a time of danger with the intention of later coming back and recovering them."  He commented the hoard was thought to date back to between AD&nbsp;675 and 725, during the time of the kingdom of Mercia.{{dubious}}<ref name="telegraph">{{cite web |url=http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/6225975/Anglo-Saxon-gold-largest-ever-hoard-officially-declared-treasure.html |title=Anglo-Saxon gold: largest ever hoard officially declared treasure |work=[[Telegraph.co.uk]]}} "Mr Bland said the hoard — thought to date back to between 675 and 725AD — was unearthed in what was once the Kingdom of Mercia."</ref> -->
== Glēsing ==
{{Reflist}}

==Utanwearde hlencas==
{{commons|Staffordshire Hoard|þæm Stæffordscire horde}}
*[http://www.staffordshirehoard.org.uk Ambihtes ƿebbside ''(on Nīƿum Englisce)''] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120902013039/http://www.staffordshirehoard.org.uk/ |date=2012-09-02 }}
*[http://www.archaeology.co.uk/staffordshire-hoard/ Stæffordscīr Hord æt Current Archaeology ''(on Nīƿum Englisce)''] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20091130182211/http://www.archaeology.co.uk/staffordshire-hoard/ |date=2009-11-30 }}
*[http://www.flickr.com/photos/finds/sets/72157622378376316/with/3944490322/ Flickr biliþstrēam þæs hordes]

[[Flocc:Stæffordscīr]]
Þæt Stæffordscīr Hord is gylden and seolfren searucēapa hord of þǣre Angulseaxisce ielde þæt man āfunded in æccre on Stæffordscīre, on Englum on 5 Mǣdmōnaþ 2009. Þæt hord hæfþ ymbe endleofen pundas of golde and 5.5 pundas of seolfre and hit is þæt mǣste sƿylce hord of þǣre ielde þe man hæfþ ā gefunden. Be micelnesse is hit mār þonne þæt 3.3 punda hord þæt man gefunded in þǣre Sūþtūn Hōh scipbyrgenne in 1939.

Stǣrmenn āliefað ðe ðæt Stæffordscīr Hord is of ymbe 675–725 AD.  In þāra gearum ƿæs his æcer on Miercna rice.

 Glēsing 

Utanwearde hlencas

Ambihtes ƿebbside (on Nīƿum Englisce) 
Stæffordscīr Hord æt Current Archaeology (on Nīƿum Englisce) 
Flickr biliþstrēam þæs hordes

Flocc:Stæffordscīr