Suffolk close to top of list of counties where treasure unearthed last year

75 items, including ancient coins and jewellery, were reported to authorities in 2022

Royal shoulder-clasps unearthed at Sutton Hoo
Published 8th Nov 2023

Suffolk has once again come close to the top of a list of UK counties with the most archaelogical finds classed as 'treasure'.

A total of 75 items, including rare coins and jewellery, were reported to authorities last year.

That's up from the 63 reported in 2021, when Suffolk also came close to top of a league table of treasure finds.

The government was made aware of 1,378 treasure finds in 2022, the highest reported figure since 1996.

Treasure reported by region last year

Around a fifth of the finds were coins, with the rest being items like jewellery. About a quarter have been donated or acquired by museums.

The vast majority of treasure is unearthed by metal detectorists.

Suffolk's Iron Age, Roman and Saxon history makes it a hotspot for historic finds.

One of the most iconic discoveries was the hoard of Saxon finds unearthed at Sutton Hoo, which included the world famous helmet, as well as jewellery, cutlery and weapons.

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