Melsonby Hoard Saved For Nation

Durham University
Close up of on ornate iron age artefact being held in a person's hands.

One of the UK's largest and most important Iron Age finds – excavated by archaeologists at Durham University – has been saved for the nation.

The Melsonby Hoard was found by metal detectorist Peter Heads in 2021 near the village of Melsonby, North Yorkshire, northern England. It was unearthed by experts in our Department of Archaeology and from our Archaeological Services team.

Earlier this year a fundraising campaign was launched by The Yorkshire Museum to acquire the collection of over 800 artefacts, which are about 2,000 years old, for future generations.

The museum has now received £192,096 from the National Heritage Memorial Fund, alongside £54,000 donated through an online fundraiser, and a further £20,000 in other donations to secure the hoard's future.

Important implications

The Melsonby Hoard includes chariot wheels, cauldrons, horse bridles and ceremonial spears.

The quantity and variety of objects are unusual and have important implications for reassessing our understanding of Iron Age life in the north of England.

Durham University's archaeologists and conservators excavated, stabilised, recorded and researched the find in collaboration with The British Museum as part of a legal Treasure case. This work was supported with more than £120,000 from Historic England.

Long-term preservation

Further research, conservation and analytical work will now be carried out to learn more about the hoard's fascinating contents and ensure its long-term preservation.

It will also become an important part of the Yorkshire Museum's public programme, sharing the discovery with visitors.

We are delighted that the Yorkshire Museum has been successful in raising the funds to acquire the Melsonby Hoard. We look forward to working with colleagues at the museum to undertake further research and conservation of this incredible material.

Professor Tom Moore
Department of Archaeology

Next steps

The Yorkshire Museum will be continuing its fundraising efforts to support the next steps for the hoard - conservation, display and research.

This is only the beginning of the story. Next the Yorkshire Museum will work in partnership to undertake a careful programme of conservation to reveal more of the hoard's beauty and to keep it protected for future generations. There will also be a research project to understand the stories of creation and deposition. Over the coming years the hoard will be put on display, and we cannot wait to share it with our visitors.

Dr Andrew Woods
Head of Research and Collections at York Museums Trust
/Durham University Public Release. This material from the originating organization/author(s) might be of the point-in-time nature, and edited for clarity, style and length. Mirage.News does not take institutional positions or sides, and all views, positions, and conclusions expressed herein are solely those of the author(s).View in full here.