Stunning necklace found at burial site of powerful Anglo-Saxon woman, perhaps early Christian leader

[Judi Lynn]

2. Gold-and-garnet cross necklace found buried with wealthy medieval British woman

By Kristina Killgrove published 12 days ago

Archaeologists in England were surprised to discover an elaborate cross with human faces and a gold-and-garnet necklace in an early medieval burial.


Archaeologists in England have unearthed medieval bling — an elaborate silver cross with human faces and a necklace made of gold with semiprecious gems and Roman coin pendants — in the grave of what might be an early female Christian leader, such as an abbess or potentially even royalty.

The team made the discovery during the groundbreaking for a housing development in Northamptonshire, England. Dating to A.D. 630 to A.D. 670, the items appear to be part of a medieval burial for an elite woman.

The necklace has been cleaned up and reconstructed by Museum of London Archaeology (MOLA) conservators. Thirty different pendants and beads give the jewelry an astonishingly modern look, and its centerpiece is a cross made out of garnets inset in gold. The large, rectangular pendant, however, seems to have been originally part of a hinged clasp and then reused, according to MOLA specialists.

The finds have been called the "Harpole Treasure" after the parish in which they were found, and the burial is significant for being a medieval high-status female grave. "We didn't quite realize how special this was going to be," MOLA site supervisor Levente-Bence Balázs said in a statement(opens in new tab). Nothing approaching the ornateness of the Harpole necklace has ever been found in early medieval England, the MOLA team said.

More:
https://www.livescience.com/gold-garnet-necklace-medieval-burial-uk