Lord Mayor’s Blog 39
The launch of the fundraising appeal to secure the Staffordshire Hoard for the Midlands was a stimulating event. Birmingham City Council is to give an initial £100,000, Stoke on Trent City Council will also give £100,000 and the Arts Fund will put in £300,000.
The appeal is fronted by prominent historian David Starkey. There is a deadline of 17th April to raise the £3.3m to secure the Hoard. A total of some £5m will be needed all told to provide for presentation and conservation.
The modern people of Mercia have shown by their enormous enthusiasm and donation of £40,000 - without being asked - that they want the hoard to return where it belongs.
Many, many questions arise. Where did it come from - North, South or was there a Mercian workshop? Who did it belong to? What does it really represent? What was going on on the spot where it was deposited? The Hoard was found just off Watling Street in the heart of the ancient Kingdom of Mercia - which has been described as the ‘spaghetti junction’ of its time. It may represent the accoutrements of Lords and Huscarls who died in battle with their Kings probably at the hands of the men of Penda, the last great pagan King of Mercia. The idea of a Mercian workshop is intriguing bearing in mind the long tradition of skilled manufacture and world-renowned craftsmanship found today in Birmingham’s Jewellery Quarter.
It now seems certain that the hoard predates AD650 judging on artistic grounds. While some wood was found with the gold and this would allow carbon dating the margin of error in carbon dating means that it is unlikely to refine the date much further. A post hole was also found and what could be a ditch (but also a natural feature) and a small team from Birmingham Archaeology continue investigations.
I’ve mentioned some large initial donations above. But I think what
really matters will be the donations, however modest, that are made by the individual people of our area. This is how the sum will be built up and this is how we bring about its possession by the public and by public subscription. You can contribute on line at www.artfund.org/hoard or for phone donations by credit or debit card call: 0844 415 4004 or by post you can send a cheque, made payable to The Art Fund (Hoard appeal) to: The Art Fund, Freepost LON 17186, PO Box 2003, Kirkaldy KY2 6BR. Contributions will also be accepted when visiting Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery. Let’s dig deep for the Hoard!
The launch of the fundraising appeal to secure the Staffordshire Hoard for the Midlands was a stimulating event. Birmingham City Council is to give an initial £100,000, Stoke on Trent City Council will also give £100,000 and the Arts Fund will put in £300,000.
The appeal is fronted by prominent historian David Starkey. There is a deadline of 17th April to raise the £3.3m to secure the Hoard. A total of some £5m will be needed all told to provide for presentation and conservation.The modern people of Mercia have shown by their enormous enthusiasm and donation of £40,000 - without being asked - that they want the hoard to return where it belongs.
Many, many questions arise. Where did it come from - North, South or was there a Mercian workshop? Who did it belong to? What does it really represent? What was going on on the spot where it was deposited? The Hoard was found just off Watling Street in the heart of the ancient Kingdom of Mercia - which has been described as the ‘spaghetti junction’ of its time. It may represent the accoutrements of Lords and Huscarls who died in battle with their Kings probably at the hands of the men of Penda, the last great pagan King of Mercia. The idea of a Mercian workshop is intriguing bearing in mind the long tradition of skilled manufacture and world-renowned craftsmanship found today in Birmingham’s Jewellery Quarter.
It now seems certain that the hoard predates AD650 judging on artistic grounds. While some wood was found with the gold and this would allow carbon dating the margin of error in carbon dating means that it is unlikely to refine the date much further. A post hole was also found and what could be a ditch (but also a natural feature) and a small team from Birmingham Archaeology continue investigations.
I’ve mentioned some large initial donations above. But I think what
really matters will be the donations, however modest, that are made by the individual people of our area. This is how the sum will be built up and this is how we bring about its possession by the public and by public subscription. You can contribute on line at www.artfund.org/hoard or for phone donations by credit or debit card call: 0844 415 4004 or by post you can send a cheque, made payable to The Art Fund (Hoard appeal) to: The Art Fund, Freepost LON 17186, PO Box 2003, Kirkaldy KY2 6BR. Contributions will also be accepted when visiting Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery. Let’s dig deep for the Hoard!
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