Britain's greatest treasures from the mysterious golden Age of Stonehenge are to go on display for the first time.
It will be the largest collection of Early Bronze Age gold ever put on public display.
The Wiltshire Museum in Devizes, 15 miles north of Stonehenge, is exhibiting 500 Stonehenge period objects, including 30 pieces of gold treasure which have rarely been seen by the public before.
Amongst the ancient Stonehenge era treasures placed on permanent display for the first time, are a beautifully decorated gold lozenge, and a magnificent bronze dagger with a gold-covered haft.
There is also a golden sheath for a dagger, a ceremonial axe, gold beads, necklaces, ear-rings, pendants and other items of gold jewellery, a unique jet disc (used to fasten a luxury garment), rare traces of ancient textiles and two of the finest prehistoric flint arrow head ever found.
The new facility not only features treasures from the Age of Stonehenge, but also recreates some of the key places they were unearthed.
Archaeologists have recreated the famous Bush Barrow burial, where a Bronze Age chieftain was buried in regal splendour with his treasures overlooking Stonehenge itself.
Were these dazzling artefacts at the King of Stonehenge's burial site Britain's first Crown Jewels?
Museum will show 500 Stonehenge period objects, including 30 pieces of gold treasure which have rarely been seen by the public before
By Anna Edwards
12 October 2013
Daily Mail
Daily Mail
They may not be studded with jewels and pearls, but these shining bronze artefacts may be Britain's first Crown Jewels.
Britain's greatest treasures from the mysterious golden Age of Stonehenge are to go on permanent display for the first time ever.
This will be the largest collection of Early Bronze Age gold ever put on public display.
The new facility not only features treasures from the Age of Stonehenge, but also recreates some of the key places they were unearthed
Stonehenge period objects, including 30 pieces of gold treasure which have rarely been seen by the public before
They were unearthed by antiquarians and archaeologists in the late 18th and early 19th centuries
Axes and daggers on display in the new purpose-built galleries are identical to images of weapons carved into the giant stones of Stonehenge itself
They will be displayed in the Wiltshire Museum in Devizes, 15 miles north of Stonehenge, which is exhibiting 500 Stonehenge period objects, including 30 pieces of gold treasure which have rarely been seen by the public before.
Amongst the ancient Stonehenge era treasures placed on permanent display for the first time, are a beautifully decorated gold lozenge, and a magnificent bronze dagger with a gold-covered haft.
There is also a golden sheath for a dagger, a ceremonial axe, gold beads, necklaces, ear-rings, pendants and other items of gold jewellery, a unique jet disc (used to fasten a luxury garment), rare traces of ancient textiles and two of the finest prehistoric flint arrow head ever found.
David Dawson, Director of the Wiltshire Museum, said: 'Stonehenge is an iconic monument – but this is the first time that such a wide range of high status objects from the spectacular burials of the people who used it, has ever been put on permanent display.'
The jewels are estimated to be as old as Stonehenge near Salisbury, Wiltshire
Many of the items may well have been worn by Bronze Age priests and chieftains as they worshipped inside Stonehenge itself
Amongst the ancient Stonehenge era treasures placed on permanent display for the first time, are a beautifully decorated gold lozenge
A magnificent bronze dagger with a gold-covered haft, a golden sheath for a dagger, a ceremonial axe, gold beads, necklaces, ear-rings, pendants and other items of gold jewellery
The most precious gold, jet and amber objects from the period are being permanently brought together to tell the story of the people who lived in and around the Stonehenge landscape when the monument was one of the great religious focal points of western Europe.
'Many of the items may well have been worn by Bronze Age priests and chieftains as they worshipped inside Stonehenge itself,' said Mr Dawson.
'Axes and daggers on display in the new purpose-built galleries are identical to images of weapons carved into the giant stones of Stonehenge itself.
'We believe the new displays are a major step forward in helping to explain the extraordinary sophistication of the remarkable people who used the world’s most famous prehistoric monument.'
Until now it's never been possible to give the public permanent access to them
Spectacular treasures from the Age of Stonehenge were unearthed by antiquarians and archaeologists in the late 18th and early 19th centuries
The most precious gold, jet and amber objects from the period are being permanently brought together
The Wiltshire Museum in Devizes will exhibit 500 Stonehenge period objects, including 30 pieces of gold treasure which have rarely been seen by the public before
The new facility not only features treasures from the Age of Stonehenge, but also recreates some of the key places they were unearthed.
Archaeologists have recreated the famous Bush Barrow burial, where a Bronze Age chieftain was buried in regal splendour overlooking Stonehenge itself.
The museum hopes that the new display will help attract substantial numbers of additional tourists to Devizes, generating jobs in the local community.
The new facility, consisting of four new galleries – form the centre-piece of the relaunched Wiltshire Museum. The museum is run by the Wiltshire Archaeological and Natural History Society, an independent charity founded 160 years ago. It now has 1,000 members.
The large specially-designed new high security and humidity-controlled exhibition facility, constructed inside the museum, cost £750,000 to build, with funding coming from the Heritage Lottery Fund, English Heritage, Wiltshire Council, the North Wessex Downs Area of Natural Beauty and other sources.
The Wiltshire Museum in Devizes
Read more: Were these dazzling artefacts at the King of Stonehenge's burial site Britain's first Crown Jewels? | Mail Online
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