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The Secret History of The Mildenhall Treasure

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  28 November 2008

Richard Hobbs
Richard Hobbs
Affiliation:
Department of Prehistory and Europe, The British Museum, London WC1B 3DG, UK. E-mail: .
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Abstract

Discovered at the height of the Second World War, the Mildenhall treasure has been a cornerstone of the national collections of the British Museum ever since its acquisition in 1946. But the circumstances behind its discovery have always been problematical. Although it is indisputable that it was found by tractor-worker Gordon Butcher, and then hidden away by Sydney Ford, is there more to the story? Archaeologists such as Tom Lethbridge and Gordon Fowler certainly thought so. A fascinating set of documents in the archives of the British Museum, discussed here for the first time, helps to provide the answers.

Type
Research Article
Information
The Antiquaries Journal , Volume 88 , September 2008 , pp. 376 - 420
Copyright
Copyright © The Society of Antiquaries of London 2008

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