They call it the Havering Hoard. It might not contain gold coins or gem stones, but the subject of the Museum of London's new show is a rare treasure indeed.
The Havering Hoard is the largest Bronze Age cache ever discovered in London. The 453 bronze objects date from 800-900 BCE and were buried in four separate pits in what we now call Rainham. Why remains a mystery.
Initially intended to open in April 2020, but delayed by lockdown, the collection will open at the Museum of London Docklands from 11 September. The billed highlight is a pair of terret rings which, for those of us not au fait with harness terminology, was a hoop that prevented reins from tangling on horse-drawn carts. They are the first of their kind ever discovered in the UK.
Other artefacts come from overseas, such as a bracelet from the border of modern day France and Germany and copper ingots that probably originate in the Alps. London had close ties with Europe even then.
The exhibition promises to reveal new details about the London region centuries before London existed.
Havering Hoard: A Bronze Age Mystery is at Museum of London Docklands 11 September to 18 April, 2021. Entrance is free.
