Ancient Saxon Pendant Unearthed in Northern England Unlocks Secrets of Medieval Elite Life
The Discovery Of A 1,200-Year-Old Saxon Pendant By A Metal Detectorist In Leeds
Leeds City CouncilThe pendant is painted with a thin layer of gold leaf, and decorated with an “intricate interlacing Saxon pattern.”
According to a press release from the Leeds City Council, the cross-shaped pendant was uncovered in 2024 by a metal detectorist in Leeds. Made of solid silver, this stunning 1,200-year-old pendant is painted with a thin layer of gold leaf and engraved with an “intricate interlacing Saxon pattern.” Though one arm of the cross has broken off, what remains of the pendant is in remarkably good condition.
Experts believe that this medieval relic was probably a “badge of office” worn by an important church leader or official.
“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,” Kat Baxter, Leeds Museums and Galleries’ curator of archaeology, explained in the press release. “It would certainly have been worn by someone of high status and is an outward display of religious identity.”
This cross pendant is an especially exciting find because it dates back to the eighth century, a pivotal era in Leeds’ history. It was then that the earliest known reference to Leeds (or Loidis) was made by the famous monk and historian The Venerable Bede. Leeds was then part of the Saxon Kingdom of Northumbria, one of several kingdoms in England that were united by Athelstan, the first king of all of England, in the 10th century.
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