Heads Up - Lost gold of the dark ages - Tonight!!

[technos]

National Geographic is airing a special about the UK detectorist's important large Anglo Saxon find in a field;
http://channel.nationalgeographic.co...-5121/Overview

Perhaps this belongs in Misc. (and I understand when it is shifted) - but I wanted to post it in >Technology to be sure that everyone who does not visit other areas of the forum had a chance to know about it.

It would seem to counter all those archaeologists that hate metal dectorists - though it will be interesting to see how National Geographic broaches the subject.

But I have feeling that here we are more interested in the technology than treasure!

[Qiaozhi]

National Geographic is airing a special about the UK detectorist's important large Anglo Saxon find in a field;
http://channel.nationalgeographic.co...-5121/Overview

Perhaps this belongs in Misc. (and I understand when it is shifted) - but I wanted to post it in >Technology to be sure that everyone who does not visit other areas of the forum had a chance to know about it.

It would seem to counter all those archaeologists that hate metal dectorists - though it will be interesting to see how National Geographic broaches the subject.

But I have feeling that here we are more interested in the technology than treasure!

You can also watch this Channel 4 documentary here ->
http://www.channel4.com/programmes/s...ding-the-hoard

[technos]

You can also watch this Channel 4 documentary here ->
http://www.channel4.com/programmes/s...ding-the-hoard

Thanks, but I don't want to be spoiled as to the ending!

What is interesting though is that evidently the pieces were right at the top of the soil - i.e. any two transistor BFO would have found it. Which also raises the question of erosion over time taking place to help uncover the treasure (and understanding the erosion process when looking). And sometimes it's not the detector so much as it is patience!

[technos]

Evidently they won't let us yanks watch the channel4 episode, so I can not tell if it is the same episode. The narrator did not have a Brit accent though.

Anyway, there are some very interesting facts and tidbits-

The finder Terry Brown was using the first generation Whites Eagle Spectrum programmable detector, which he had programmed to differentiate between iron nails, silver, and gold. Maybe my White's Spectrum sitting in the corner will increase in value now.

/* relevant comment and snide remark - I can't tell you the number of times that I dug something because the Spectrum told me it was gold straight up, only to find that it is a piece of a rusted can. In fact, this found hoard may be Karma balancing itself out for the number of times collectively that Spectrum owners got such a false signal. I have a box filled with such finds and plan using them to test detector discrimination.*/

The find is 1400 years old, 11 pounds of gold, 3 pounds of silver, all of it appearing to come from weapons/swords. 1600 pieces total. The find covered an area approximately 33 feet by 45 feet. Outnumbers/classes all other dark age finds put together. The craftmanship is very refined. It was valued at 3.28 million pounds. Personally, I think this was very conservative. But a large part of it's value does come from it being a collection.

Evidently other detectorists had been in the field, but missed it completely. Why is this? Once Terry found the initial pieces, his detector was finding pieces continuously. Too much ground discrimination? Farmer Fred Johnson had rolled his tractor over the spot a couple of dozen times.

What I find interesting is the comment that the archaeologists made - that Terry helped them considerably in finding stuff expeditiously as they were trying to avoid the night plunderers (and operating near a very busy highway). Farmer Fred's cover story he told the neighbors is that "they were looking for a body!"

Also, there was no written agreement between Terry and the field owner, Farmer Fred Johnson. It was a casual verbal agreement to split things 50/50. See Dan Hughe's podcast a couple of weeks ago on this very subject for an interesting take on this (whether you agree or don't):
http://danhughes.libsyn.com/index.php?post_id=599724

Evidently Terry has a mantra that he speaks as routine when he goes detecting. But the time he found the treasure he inadvertently changed it to "spirits of yesteryear take me where the gold appears!"

The first piece he found he thought it "looked like brass."

And he appeared in a commercial for White's detectors 3/4 the way through. Perhaps Carl could tell us if he was rewarded with a new detector for his promotional consideration? Not that it is a bad thing! I especially liked the "Now you too can find an Anglo-Saxon hoard in your backyard!" feel that the commercial had to it. Cons: the countryside may now be unnecessarily cratered.

But in the end, the most significant Anglo Saxon find was brought to you by someone with a metal detector. If you can catch this National Geographic show, it's worth it.