Newark Torc
Encyclopedia
The Newark Torc is a complete Iron Age
gold
alloy
torc
found by a metal detectorist on the outskirts of Newark-on-Trent
, Nottinghamshire
, England
in February 2005.
The torc is made from electrum
, an alloy of gold, silver and copper, weighs 700 grams (1.5 lbs) and is 20 cm in diameter. The body is formed from rolled gold alloy wires, which had then been plaited into eight thin ropes then twisted together. The terminals are ring-shaped and bear floral and point-work designs. The torc was probably made in Norfolk
. It closely resembles the Great Torc from Snettisham
, now displayed in the British Museum
, and is also closely similar to one found at Sedgeford
, north Norfolk - so much so that one expert has suggested that they might have been made by the same craftsman. The torc had been buried in a pit, and as such is considered a hoard
ed item rather than a stray loss. The reason for its deposition is uncertain, although Dr Jeremy Hill, head of research at the British Museum, speculated that it might have been buried "possibly as an offering to the gods."
The torc has been dated to between 250 and 50 BC, and is thought to have been buried in around 75 BC. The torc was found by Maurice Richardson, a tree surgeon, while he was metal detecting in a field.
The torc was declared treasure trove
in 2005 and purchased in 2006 for Newark's Millgate Museum, with significant grant aid from the National Heritage Memorial Fund
. The £350,000 proceeds were split between the finder and Trinity College, Cambridge
, the landowner. The torc was displayed to the press on 18 November 2008 at the British Museum.
Iron Age
The Iron Age is the archaeological period generally occurring after the Bronze Age, marked by the prevalent use of iron. The early period of the age is characterized by the widespread use of iron or steel. The adoption of such material coincided with other changes in society, including differing...
gold
Gold
Gold is a chemical element with the symbol Au and an atomic number of 79. Gold is a dense, soft, shiny, malleable and ductile metal. Pure gold has a bright yellow color and luster traditionally considered attractive, which it maintains without oxidizing in air or water. Chemically, gold is a...
alloy
Alloy
An alloy is a mixture or metallic solid solution composed of two or more elements. Complete solid solution alloys give single solid phase microstructure, while partial solutions give two or more phases that may or may not be homogeneous in distribution, depending on thermal history...
torc
Torc
A torc, also spelled torq or torque, is a large, usually rigid, neck ring typically made from strands of metal twisted together. The great majority are open-ended at the front, although many seem designed for near-permanent wear and would have been difficult to remove. Smaller torcs worn around...
found by a metal detectorist on the outskirts of Newark-on-Trent
Newark-on-Trent
Newark-on-Trent is a market town in Nottinghamshire in the East Midlands region of England. It stands on the River Trent, the A1 , and the East Coast Main Line railway. The origins of the town are possibly Roman as it lies on an important Roman road, the Fosse Way...
, Nottinghamshire
Nottinghamshire
Nottinghamshire is a county in the East Midlands of England, bordering South Yorkshire to the north-west, Lincolnshire to the east, Leicestershire to the south, and Derbyshire to the west...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
in February 2005.
The torc is made from electrum
Electrum
Electrum is a naturally occurring alloy of gold and silver, with trace amounts of copper and other metals. It has also been produced artificially. The ancient Greeks called it 'gold' or 'white gold', as opposed to 'refined gold'. Its color ranges from pale to bright yellow, depending on the...
, an alloy of gold, silver and copper, weighs 700 grams (1.5 lbs) and is 20 cm in diameter. The body is formed from rolled gold alloy wires, which had then been plaited into eight thin ropes then twisted together. The terminals are ring-shaped and bear floral and point-work designs. The torc was probably made in Norfolk
Norfolk
Norfolk is a low-lying county in the East of England. It has borders with Lincolnshire to the west, Cambridgeshire to the west and southwest and Suffolk to the south. Its northern and eastern boundaries are the North Sea coast and to the north-west the county is bordered by The Wash. The county...
. It closely resembles the Great Torc from Snettisham
Snettisham Hoard
The Snettisham Hoard, Snettisham Treasure or Snettisham Torc, is a series of discoveries of Iron Age precious metal, found in the Snettisham area of the English county of Norfolk between 1948 and 1973....
, now displayed in the British Museum
British Museum
The British Museum is a museum of human history and culture in London. Its collections, which number more than seven million objects, are amongst the largest and most comprehensive in the world and originate from all continents, illustrating and documenting the story of human culture from its...
, and is also closely similar to one found at Sedgeford
Sedgeford Torc
The Sedgeford Torc is a broken Iron Age gold torc found near the village of Sedgeford in Norfolk. The main part of the torc was found during harrowing of a field in 1965, and the missing terminal was found by Dr. Steve Hammond during fieldwork by the Sedgeford Historical and Archaeological...
, north Norfolk - so much so that one expert has suggested that they might have been made by the same craftsman. The torc had been buried in a pit, and as such is considered a hoard
Hoard
In archaeology, a hoard is a collection of valuable objects or artifacts, sometimes purposely buried in the ground. This would usually be with the intention of later recovery by the hoarder; hoarders sometimes died before retrieving the hoard, and these surviving hoards may be uncovered by...
ed item rather than a stray loss. The reason for its deposition is uncertain, although Dr Jeremy Hill, head of research at the British Museum, speculated that it might have been buried "possibly as an offering to the gods."
"[It is] probably the most significant find of Iron Age Celtic gold jewellery made in the last 50 years ... [it] shows an incredibly high level of technological skill in working the metal and a really high level of artistry. It is an extraordinary object." Dr Jeremy Hill.
The torc has been dated to between 250 and 50 BC, and is thought to have been buried in around 75 BC. The torc was found by Maurice Richardson, a tree surgeon, while he was metal detecting in a field.
The torc was declared treasure trove
Treasure trove
A treasure trove may broadly be defined as an amount of money or coin, gold, silver, plate, or bullion found hidden underground or in places such as cellars or attics, where the treasure seems old enough for it to be presumed that the true owner is dead and the heirs undiscoverable...
in 2005 and purchased in 2006 for Newark's Millgate Museum, with significant grant aid from the National Heritage Memorial Fund
National Heritage Memorial Fund
The National Heritage Memorial Fund is a non-departmental public body set up under the National Heritage Act 1980 in memory of people who gave their lives for the United Kingdom....
. The £350,000 proceeds were split between the finder and Trinity College, Cambridge
Trinity College, Cambridge
Trinity College is a constituent college of the University of Cambridge. Trinity has more members than any other college in Cambridge or Oxford, with around 700 undergraduates, 430 graduates, and over 170 Fellows...
, the landowner. The torc was displayed to the press on 18 November 2008 at the British Museum.
See also
- Sedgeford TorcSedgeford TorcThe Sedgeford Torc is a broken Iron Age gold torc found near the village of Sedgeford in Norfolk. The main part of the torc was found during harrowing of a field in 1965, and the missing terminal was found by Dr. Steve Hammond during fieldwork by the Sedgeford Historical and Archaeological...
- Snettisham HoardSnettisham HoardThe Snettisham Hoard, Snettisham Treasure or Snettisham Torc, is a series of discoveries of Iron Age precious metal, found in the Snettisham area of the English county of Norfolk between 1948 and 1973....
- Stirling hoardStirling hoardThe Stirling torcs make up a hoard of four gold Iron Age torcs, a type of necklace, all of which date to between 300 B.C. and 100 B.C. and which were buried deliberately at some point in antiquity. They were found by a metal detectorist in a field near Blair Drummond, Stirlingshire, Scotland on 29...
External links
- The Art Fund page on the Newark Torc
- "Iron Age necklace discovered" The Guardian
- "Pictured: The £350,000 Iron Age neckband discovered by one man and his metal detector" The Daily Mail
- "Metal detector man's £350,000 Iron Age neckband" The Daily Telegraph
- BBC webpage
- http://www.flickr.com/photos/finds/3040949218/The Newark Torc on flickrFlickrFlickr is an image hosting and video hosting website, web services suite, and online community that was created by Ludicorp in 2004 and acquired by Yahoo! in 2005. In addition to being a popular website for users to share and embed personal photographs, the service is widely used by bloggers to...
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