A Metal Detectorist Found a 1,200-Year-Old Cross Pendant in a Field. Its Details Are Astonishing.

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A Metal Detectorist Found a 1,200-Year-Old Cross Pendant in a Field. Its Details Are Astonishing.

Here’s what you’ll learn when you read this story:

A medieval Saxon pendant that was once worn by a high-status figure was discovered in a field in Leeds, England.

The ornament is made of silver and covered in a thin layer of gold leaf; it features an intricate interlacing design typical of Saxon style.

The pendant is one of many recent discoveries that deepened researchers’ understanding of Yorkshire history.

In recent years, researchers have made a string of discoveries shedding light on the history of medieval Leeds,

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. According to a

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from the Leeds City Council, in 2012, a metal detectorist found seven important objects, including high-quality gold jewelry that would’ve been worn by wealthy

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. In 2023, a 1,600-year-old lead coffin was discovered in a cemetery along with the remains of 60 people from the late Roman to Early Saxon *******. The most recent discovery added to the list of finds is an intricate Saxon cross pendant.

Though one of the four arms is broken off and the center jewel is missing, the pendant is still an incredible relic. The cross is made of silver and covered in a thin layer of gold leaf and bears a complex interlacing pattern that is typical of

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.

Crosses have historically been worn by various groups for various reasons, even before the rise of Christianity. For Egyptians, the

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(often referred to as the “first” or the “original” cross) is a symbol of eternal life. Pagans used the

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in rituals worshipping the sun. The cross found in Leeds may have been a “badge of office” for an important member of society. Kat Baxter—Leeds Museums and Galleries’ curator of archaeology—explains that the design of the pendant is indicative of who would’ve worn it.

“The cross is beautifully decorated on both sides, which suggests it was designed to hang around the neck with the suspension loop on the missing arm,” Baxter said in the release. “It would certainly have been worn by someone of high status and is an outward display of religious identity.”

Baxter also explained that the jewelry was likely made at a time when Leeds was part of the Saxon Kingdom of Northumbria.

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was one of the most important kingdoms in Anglo-Saxon England’s history, extending all the way from the Irish Sea to the North Sea at its peak. The “golden age”—or the height of religious, intellectual, and artistic achievement—in Northumbria happened between the 7th and 8th centuries. Though it was a northern powerhouse, the unity in the kingdom eventually fell apart after attacks from the

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. Excitingly for researchers, there’s still much to learn about the time *******, and the pendant likely isn’t the last artifact of its kind.

“There are certainly more objects out there waiting to be discovered, and responsible metal detectorists and The Portable Antiquities Scheme are playing a really important role in increasing our understanding of local history,” Baxter said. “Without them, this beautiful piece of Saxon metalwork, and many others like it, would never have been found and made available for future generations.”

The Saxon pendant has since gone through the Portable Antiquities Scheme Treasure process and is set to go on display at Leeds City Museum later this year.

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