HUGE IRON AGE HOARD SHEDS FRESH LIGHT ON ANCIENT BRITAIN

Archaeologists unveiled the discovery of one of the UK's "biggest and most important" Iron Age hoards, saying the 2000-year-old treasure trove could transform perceptions of ancient Britain.

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Experts said the "Melsonby Hoard" unearthed in Yorkshire, northern England, is remarkable for its richness and variety, featuring ceremonial spears, chariots and horse harnesses decorated with coral from the Mediterranean.

It also challenges the idea that northern England was less wealthy than the south, the specialists said, and could lead to a reappraisal of the region's status and ties with Europe.

"It's one of the largest hauls of Iron Age metalwork ever found in Britain," said the head of Durham University's archaeology department Tom Moore. A metal detector enthusiast found the hoard in a field near the village of Melsonby in 2021, but Moore said the find was only made public on Tuesday following a legal process to work out the treasure's worth.