Hagley Historical and Field Society

Another large audience attended the March meeting to listen to Dr David Symons from Birmingham Museum.  Since David was talking about one of the most significant archaeological finds ever, the Staffordshire Hoard, this was not entirely unexpected.  The first pieces were discovered in July 2009 and, with enthusiasm little diminished from that date, our presenter took us through the story of the finds, their eventual display to the public and the beginnings of the interpretation of their place in history.

The Museum authorities quickly realised the importance of the discovery and enforced a press blackout; 5kg of gold and 1.5kg of silver amounting to some 3500 pieces was going to cause worldwide interest and security problems.  With palpable excitement, David recalled the press conference, his instant rise to celebrity status and the 42,000 visitors at the Museum during the 19 days the treasure was on display.  The quality of the craftsmanship is exquisite and has caused historians to challenge established ideas about the so-called Dark Ages.  Thankfully the hoard, valued at over £3m, is now safely in the hands of the Birmingham and Stoke Museums.

The Society now has a website under development.  Anyone interested in documents and photographs covering the history of Hagley and details of our forthcoming events should find www.hhfs.org.uk.