Dorset Museum & Art Gallery Seeks Support to Acquire Ancient Bronze Age Gold Hoard
Dorset Museum & Art Gallery has the opportunity to acquire The Crichel Hoard, a group of three rare Bronze Age gold ornaments dating back over 3,000 years to around 1400–1150 BCE.
The hoard includes:
A | Twisted Gold Ribbon Torc
This beautiful piece was originally crafted from a narrow strip of gold twisted into a spiral. Although now slightly bent out of shape, it would once have formed a shining hoop, worn as a symbol of wealth and status. Measuring approximately 78mm long and weighing just over 20 grams, similar examples are mostly found in Scotland, Ireland, and Wales, making this discovery in southern England particularly special.
B | Gold Ornament with a Mysterious Past
The second piece, a flat gold strip featuring a small punched hole near one end, may have been part of a bracelet, an ear ornament, or another form of prehistoric jewellery. Slightly wider than the torc, it shows signs of folding and damage over time. Comparable artefacts have been uncovered in West Sussex, Kent, and other significant Bronze Age hoards.
C | Spiralled Gold Bracelet
The third object is a tightly folded gold strip, spiralled around one and a half times. Weighing an impressive 46 grams, it is the heaviest of the three and displays exquisite craftsmanship. Although smaller than some known torcs, its form suggests it too may have been worn as a prestigious ornament.
Each piece shines with the characteristic deep gold colour of ancient metalwork and bears the marks of its age, including surface scratches and traces of soil from its burial site.
This remarkable discovery sheds new light on Bronze Age life in Southern England, linking to similar finds from Somerset and beyond. Artefacts like these are exceptionally rare in this region and significantly deepen our understanding of early gold working, social structures, and cultural practices over three millennia ago.
The Crichel Hoard has been independently valued at £9,000, with £8,000 already raised thanks to generous support from the Arts Council England/V&A Purchase Grant Fund and The Headley Trust. Dorset Museum & Art Gallery now seeks to raise the final £1,000 needed, with all funds going directly towards the hoard’s acquisition, conservation, and future display.
Help us bring this extraordinary treasure home to Dorset!
If you would like to support this appeal, donations can be made at https://cafdonate.cafonline.org/28333
Please note: Should we meet and surpass our fundraising goal, any additional funds will be responsibly allocated to support the conservation, restoration, or acquisition of other significant artefacts. Your generous contributions will continue to play a vital role in preserving our shared heritage for future generations.
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