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While searching a field in southwesterly England , metal detectorists stumbled on the " find of a lifetime " : two gold - and - garnet objects go out to around 1,400 age ago .
Paul Gould , a novel detectorist with the Ninth Region Metal Detecting Group , reach on a unconditional metal object toward the end of a long twenty-four hour period of detecting on Jan. 8 . He thought the amber band , inlaid with triangular garnets and stud with diminutive pearl ofgold , was an Anglo - Saxon pack .
Metal detectorists found these two gold-and-garnet objects in a field in England.
But as fellow detectorist Chris Phillips searched nearby , he hit on something even more extraordinary : a dress raven ’s head .
" It ’s unbelievable — I ’m a bit emotional , " Phillips said in avideo of the discoveryposted to his YouTube channel .
The Corvus corax ’s head , also believed to be Anglo - Saxon and date to the seventh one C , include a sensational garnet heart and tiny amber heavens limn the garnet - spot " feathers . " Phillips estimated it weighed about 2 ounces ( 57 grams ) .
Paul Gould and Chris Phillips hold the Anglo-Saxon gold-and-garnet objects they discovered while metal detecting.
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Ravens were often see as harbingers ofdeath and darknessin early European historical and mythological writings , and Germanic andVikingAge people associated two Corvus corax withOdin , the Norse god of war and death . But it is indecipherable what the Au - and - garnet raven ’s mind was mean to present .
After divulge the two gold objects , the group contacted the property owner and the local finds liaison officer , who is part of the U.K.‘sPortable Antiquities Scheme . The programme encourages penis of the public to describe the find of archaeological objects to enhance the agreement of England ’s history .
" The finds will go through the hoarded wealth appendage now , which will take a while , " Phillips tell Live Science in an email . According to the U.K.‘sTreasure Act , artifacts craft from precious metals that are at least 300 years old can characterise as treasure .
As a part of the " hoarded wealth process , " the objects are being cleaned by experts at the British Museum , where Phillips and Gould go to visit their finds earlier this year , documenting the journey inanother video .
Initial cleaning revealed the right side of the raven ’s head , which is missing a garnet heart , as well as incised nostrils on its bill . Phillips noted that , with the dirt removed from the inside of the raven ’s head , low bowling pin could be seen . Those may have attached the ornamental head to a drinking horn , he think , similar toan examplefound in the Anglo - Saxon ship burial atSutton Hoo .
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The ring that Gould get wind was also cleaned by expert , but it is still unclear if it was a bit of jewelry or a ornamentation that became detached from its original linguistic context .
Given the find of two singular piece of gold , the spot where they were found is now being investigated as a likely archaeological land site , Phillips said .
" We hope to be require in any further investigation of the site , and we will continue to detect with all the correct procedure in place , " he said .
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