Archeologists Chance Upon a 1300-Year-Old Necklace and Call It a Once-in-a-Lifetime Discovery

A necklace consisting of gold and semiprecious stones dating back 1,300 years was discovered at an early Anglo-Saxon burial site in central England. The Museum of London Archaeology  (MOLA) describes the discovery as Britain's most significant female pre-Christian burial site. It is a gold necklace that dates from 630–670 AD and is described by archaeologists as a "once-in-a-lifetime" find.  At least 30 necklaces and beads composed of Roman coins, gold, garnets, glass, and semi-precious stones were found nearby Northampton.  A large rectangular pendant with a cross design that hangs from this necklace's center is composed of gold and crimson garnets. It is believed by experts that this piece, which is made out of red garnets set in gold, was originally simply one half of a hinged clasp. The treasure, according to the museum, was found in a cemetery thought to be the resting place of a high-status woman, probably royalty. Also discovered from the burial were two painted pots and a little copper dish. The MOLA Site Supervisor, Levente-Bence Balazs, stated in a statement, that when the first glints of gold started to emerge from the soil they knew this was something major, but they didn't fully realize how exceptional this was going to be.