She struck gold literally. An hour and a half into her first excavation, an American archaeology student found an artefact extremely valuable for Britain’s history. Dating back to the ninth century, the small, ornate artefact is believed to have had a ceremonial purpose.
The 1.5-inch piece has a decorative finial at one end and appears to be from Britain’s early medieval period, according to a statement from the university.
“We know that Dere Street continued to be a major thoroughfare long after the Romans, and it’s clear from this discovery that high-status people were using it,” said James Gerrard, an archaeologist at Newcastle University, in the statement. “It is possible that this pair of objects may have been deliberately buried,” to Smithsonian Magazine. The collaboration between the university and museum allows students to be trained in archaeological techniques while investigating historical contexts, said Andrew Agate, the museum’s finds liaison officer for the Portable Antiquities Scheme, in a statement. “This project is a great example of how metal detectorists and archaeologists can come together to add to our understanding of the past in Northumberland,” Agate said.
Yara Souza, a Florida-native and an undergraduate at Newcastle University in northern England, was digging along with other students at Redesdale in Northumberland when she discovered the gold piece. The two gold artefacts will be further studied before going on display in the Great North Museum: Hancock.