Harpole's treasure

In April, archaeologists from the Museum of London Archeology (MOLA) made a very interesting discovery in the town of Harpole (Northamptonshire).
What has already been called Harpole Treasure is an exceptional find for the richness and typology of the objects. This is the burial of a woman, dated between 630 and 670 AD, containing a necklace with 30 different pendants and beads, an elaborate silver cross, a copper plate and two decorated vases.

The material is still being studied,> but it is clear that the grave goods belonged to an important person in the first Christian communities of the area. The necklace consists of gold Roman coins used as pendants, semi-precious stones and decorated glass set in gold, gold beads and, in the central part, a large square pendant, in gold and garnet, with a cross motif . The rich object was previously half of a hinged closure, then used as a pendant.
The burial also contained another silver cross, with garnet inlays and smaller crosses at the end of each arm. At the end of two arms, unusual depictions of human faces in silver have been found.

Human remains associated with these objects are small: few remains of tooth enamel. However, the research conducted by the MOLA experts will also include the analysis of the organic remains found inside the vases. The burial was identified as female thanks to her grave goods. Similar necklaces have been found in female burials of this period, but none had the richness and variety of pendants present in Harpole's.

The MOLA archaeologists believe that the woman may have been an important exponent in one of the first Christian communities in the area, perhaps an abbess or a princess, given the astonishing wealth of objects that were buried with her .
The Harpole Treasure is subject to the Treasure Act, a law that concerns the discovery of historical-archaeological objects and has therefore been reported to the competent authorities, thus starting the path that will lead to its museum display.


Agnese Picco
NP January 2023