Museum fundraises for 3,000-year-old gold hoard

A hoard of "exceptionally rare" 3,000-year-old gold ornaments, found by metal detectorists in Dorset, is the subject of a campaign to keep it in the county.

The three Bronze Age objects were found in March 2022 and date back to about 1400–1150 BCE.

Known as the Crichel Hoard, the bent ornaments have been valued at £9,000 and Dorset Museum is fundraising to acquire, conserve and display them.

The museum said they shed "new light on Bronze Age life in southern England".

The collection is made up of a twisted gold ribbon torc bracelet, a gold strip thought to be part of a larger piece of jewellery, and a spiralled gold bracelet weighing 46g (1.6 oz).

Jon Marrow, of Dorset Museum, said: "One of the most interesting things about this hoard is that the gold twisted torc is of a type normally found further north and west.

"It's also intriguing that such objects are so often damaged before burial, as though this was done ritually but it's hard for us to discern what the beliefs were behind this practice."

The museum said £8,000 had already been raised through the Arts Council England and V&A Purchase Grant Fund, and The Headley Trust.

A spokesperson said: "Artefacts like these are exceptionally rare in this region and significantly deepen our understanding of early gold working, social structures, and cultural practices over three millennia ago."

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