There’s still time to help keep Oxfordshire’s Iron Age hoard in the county
Time is running out to help Friends of the Oxfordshire Museum acquire an Iron Age hoard discovered by a metal detectorist near Henley five years ago.
The registered charity is around halfway towards raising the £10,500 needed to allow Oxfordshire County Council’s museum service to buy the hoard, which includes a stunning horse brooch that is more than 2,000 years old.
However, the fundraising campaign closes at noon on Monday 6 October, so donors are urged to visit the crowdfunder’s webpage as soon as possible.
Experts from the British Museum and the University of Oxford have added their support to the campaign, which was launched in July, by explaining the significance of the historic find.
Dr Sophia Adams, first millennium European and Roman conquest period collections curator for the British Museum, said: “This is an intriguing hoard of beguiling objects marking a personal and powerful moment of burial.
“The harness brooch is a magnificent example of a rare type of object that formed part of the harness for a pony pulling a chariot. It is unusual to find this buried with a dress brooch, a coin and the other items together in a pot.”
Emeritus Professor Gary Lock, from the University of Oxford’s School of Archaeology, said: “This is a very important collection of objects that throws light on life in the late Iron Age/early Roman periods in Oxfordshire.
“Each item is interesting in its own right but to be found together in this way gives them added significance and rarity, raising all sorts of questions about their original use and why they were buried in this way. This hoard needs to be displayed within the context of Oxfordshire’s past and a local museum is the best way of doing that.”
The hoard was discovered in the parish of Rotherfield Peppard in August 2020 and excavated by archaeologists.
The Iron Age of the British Isles started 800 years BC and it is believed that this hoard was buried in AD 50 to 150, shortly after the Roman invasion.
The hoard was found in a pottery urn, sealed by a quern stone. The contents of the urn included a stunning copper alloy Iron Age horse harness fitting, an enamelled patera handle, a brooch, one silver Roman coin and a lead weight.
Such a hoard is classified as treasure under the Treasure Act. As the county’s repository for archaeological finds, the county council’s museum service has the first chance to acquire it for Oxfordshire and ultimately save it from going into private hands.
Donors who give over £20 will also be invited to a special viewing of the hoard if the campaign is successful.
Donations made will be used only to support the acquisition and conservation of the hoard for the museum. People donating are urged to opt in for Gift Aid as this boosts the money received and will help reach the target more quickly.
Angie Bolton, curator of archaeology for the Oxfordshire museum service, said: “This Oxfordshire hoard, buried nearly 2,000 years ago, really belongs to all of Oxfordshire residents. Getting the hoard into the Oxfordshire museum service archaeology collection will enable all residents of Oxfordshire to come see it, enjoy it and be inspired by it for the next 2,000 years.
“If you can chip in and support us, no matter how small your donation, we will care for it on your behalf.”
So far, 94 people have donated to the crowdfunder and others have donated using the museum donation boxes at the Oxfordshire Museum Resource Centre.
The Friends of the Oxfordshire Museum is a registered charity that supports the Oxfordshire museum service through fundraising and financial support for special events, acquisitions and educational programmes.
The Oxfordshire museum service cares for, safeguards and makes accessible the heritage of the county. Its collections can be accessed through its displays, loans programme and digital catalogue and can be used for research.
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