A student at Newcastle University, Yara Souza, discovered a rare gold pin dating to the 9th century during her first field excavation at an archaeological site in Northumberland. The find came after just 90 minutes of work in Redesdale near Dere Street, an important Roman road. The gold piece measures about 4 centimeters and features fine decoration; it has been identified as a ball-headed pin from the early medieval period. A metal-detecting expert had found a similar gold item at the same site in 2021, supporting experts’ hypothesis that these discoveries were associated with elite individuals and possibly linked to religious or ceremonial practices. The site is significant as part of the old Dere Street linking York and Edinburgh, a strategic supply route during the Roman era that remained in use for centuries and later formed part of the modern A68.

James Gerrard, professor of Roman archaeology at Newcastle University, described the discovery as exceptional, noting that gold in that period signified high status and was limited to the upper classes; he suggested the two gold items may have been deliberately buried by prominent travelers in the area. The two items will undergo detailed scientific analysis before being displayed at the Great North: Hancock museum so the public can view this rare treasure. The project exemplifies successful collaboration between archaeologists and metal-detecting experts to better understand obscure periods of history.