Visitors flock to see treasure hoard
Friday September 25 2009
More than 1,000 people flocked to catch a glimpse of the largest hoard of Anglo-Saxon gold ever found, as it went on display for the first time today.
Visitors to Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery, where some of the treasure will be showcased until October 13, joined queues that stretched out of the doors into the city's Chamberlain Square.
Hundreds of people were waiting in line to see the glittering haul as the doors opened at 10.30am.
The cache - thought to date back to between 675 and 725AD - was unearthed on Staffordshire farmland by a metal detectorist in July.
Archaeologists have hailed the treasure - which includes a large number of sword pommels and hilt plates as well as a quantity of silver - as ``a fantastically important discovery'' which will redefine perceptions of Anglo-Saxon England.
It is expected to fetch a seven-figure sum when it goes on sale.
