Once I was a clever boy learning the arts of Oxford... is a quotation from the verses written by Bishop Richard Fleming (c.1385-1431) for his tomb in Lincoln Cathedral. Fleming, the founder of Lincoln College in Oxford, is the subject of my research for a D. Phil., and, like me, a son of the West Riding. I have remarked in the past that I have a deeply meaningful on-going relationship with a dead fifteenth century bishop... it was Fleming who, in effect, enabled me to come to Oxford and to learn its arts, and for that I am immensely grateful.


Wednesday, 7 December 2022

An Anglo-Saxon necklace from Northamptonshire

 
Archaeologists working on a site at Harpole in Northamptonshire have uncovered a spectacular Anglo-Saxon necklace in what had been the burial of a woman of high status.

The BBC News website has a report on the discovery. It is dated to 630/40-670/80 and has at its centre a panel decorated with a cross between Roman ( or Byzantine? ) coins and garnets. It would not look out of place today as a striking and fashionable piece of jewellery. 

A not dissimilar necklace was found in 1876 at Desborough which lies to the north east of Northampton. That necklace is now in the British Museum and the report has a link to the BM Catalogue for that item. 


CNN also has a report about the discovery with additional information and that report can be seen at Stunning necklace found at burial site of powerful Anglo-Saxon woman

Wikipedia now has a report about the Harpole burial at Harpole bed burial


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