Image: Yorkshire Museums Trust
National Heritage Memorial Fund awards £192,096 to Yorkshire Museum for Iron Age hoard acquisition, supported by public donations totalling £74,000.
The Yorkshire Museum has acquired a collection of over 800 Iron Age artefacts after securing necessary funds.
Known as the Melsonby Hoard, it was acquired with a £192,096 award from the National Heritage Memorial Fund, combined with £74,000 raised through public donations.
Discovered by a metal detectorist in 2021 near Melsonby, North Yorkshire, the hoard comprises objects dating back 2,000 years, including chariot wheels, cauldrons, horse bridles and ceremonial spears.
Archaeologists from Durham University conducted the excavation with over £120,000 in financial support from Historic England and expert guidance from the British Museum. The find was processed under the Treasure Act 1996, administered by the British Museum’s Treasure Registry on behalf of the Department for Culture Media and Sport.
Gallery
The Yorkshire Museum will now undertake conservation work, detailed research and analytical studies on the collection, which will form part of the museum’s public programme.
Kathryn Blacker, chief executive of York Museums Trust called the hoard a “significant piece of Yorkshire’s history”.
“We remain committed to researching and conserving these unprecedented finds to improve our understanding of our shared past and securing them for future generations.”
Dr Andrew Woods, head of research and collections at York Museums Trust, added: “This is only the beginning of the story, next the Yorkshire Museum will work in partnership to undertake a careful programme of conservation to reveal more of the hoard’s beauty and to keep it protected for future generations.”
Also planned is a research project to understand the stories of creation and deposition.
