Cool FindsTreasure Trove of 800 Exceptional Iron Age Artifacts Discovered in EnglandThe collection, which dates to the first century C.E., includes items ranging from elaborately decorated horse harnesses to ornate cauldrons Researchers spent three months excavating the site. Durham UniversityElaborately decorated horse harnesses, ceremonial spears, ornate cauldrons, bridle bits and hundreds of other 2,000-year-old artifacts have been unearthed in England.Experts say the hoard is one of the largest and most significant Iron Age finds in all of the United Kingdomand it has the potential to reshape historians understanding of wealth, travel, status and trade among Britains tribes during that period.The discovery wasannounced Tuesday by Historic England, Durham University and the British Museum.It has been a once-in-a-lifetime find for everyone involved, says Keith Emerick, an inspector of ancient monuments at Historic England, the British government agency that funded the excavations, to theGuardians Mark Brown. A copper alloy harness fitting found in the cache Durham UniversityA metal detectorist named Peter Heads stumbled upon the hoard in December 2021. He was using the device to scan the ground in a field near Melsonby, a village in North Yorkshire in northeast England.When Heads started digging, he realized hed discovered something importantand he decided to get in touch withTom Moore, an archaeologist at Durham University.When Moore arrived at the site, he also immediately realized the significance of the find. He approached Historic England and secured 120,000 (roughly $155,000) to excavate the area. That work took place in 2022, and researchers have been analyzing the more than 800 items in the cache ever since.The artifacts likely date back to the period when the Roman emperorClaudius was invading Britain. Experts think the items belonged to theBrigantes, a tribe that controlled much of northern England during the Iron Age.Researchers found at least 14 horse harnesses, which were likely used to pull ancient chariots or wagons. The harnesses were decorated with colorful glass and Mediterranean coral, which suggests their owner was a wealthy, high-status individual with connections throughout Europe and the Roman world. Many items had corroded together into a tangled mass over the years. Durham UniversityThey also unearthed iron tires and other vehicle parts, as well as a cauldron that was likely used as a wine mixing bowl. The cache includes the first evidence of four-wheeled wagons in Iron Age Britain, which raises new questions.Were going to have to spend years thinking, what did these vehicles look like, where did they come from? Moore tells the Guardian.Over time, some of the artifacts had corroded together to form a tangled mass, which researchers had to carefully extract. They suspect these items may have been placed in a bag together.Many of the artifacts had been burned or deliberately broken, which adds to the theory that they belonged to an elite person. They may have been included in a funerary pyre, though researchers didnt find any human remains.This is symbolicit is not just throwing something away, Moore tells the LondonTimes Jack Blackburn. It is something were familiar with from the Iron Age where people ritually destroyed things. What weve got here is it on a grand scale.Help Us Save The Melsonby HoardWatch on The discovery of such obvious symbols of wealth and power is significant for another reason: It complicates the long-held assumption that northern England was poorer than the southern part of the country during the Iron Age.They challenge our way of thinking and show the north is definitely not a backwater in the Iron Age, Moore tells the Guardian. It is just as interconnected, powerful and wealthy as Iron Age communities in the south.Together, the artifacts are worth 254,000 (about $330,000). The Yorkshire Museum is launchingfundraising efforts to keep the items in England. In the meantime, some of them will be displayed at the museum starting this week.By acquiring the hoard, we will be able to make it accessible to everyone, says Andrew Woods, senior curator at the museum, toBBC News Jessica Bradley. Working in partnership with others, we can learn more about this fascinating period, why the hoard was buried, how the objects may have been used, as well as the identity of their owners.Get the latest stories in your inbox every weekday.Filed Under: Ancient Civilizations, Ancient Rome, Archaeology, Artifacts, British History, Cool Finds, England, European History, History, Roman Empire