In July 2009, amateur metal detecting enthusiast Terry Herbert uncovered the largest Anglo Saxon treasure hoard ever found in Britain. Just below the surface of a field near Lichfield, Staffordshire, he unearthed over 200 pieces of jewelled gold and silver treasure, buried, lost and forgotten for over a millennium. Archaeologists later excavated a further 1,400 items. The unprecedented find of Anglo Saxon gold mesmerised archaeologists and historians, making headlines around the world.