Hold a replica of an Iron Age object – as the Yorkshire Museum partner with special digital company to help preserve the Melsonby Hoard.
As part of the effort to save Iron Age discovery the Melsonby Hoard, the Yorkshire Museum have collaborated with Heritage360 from the University of York to undertake some 3D scanning of the hoard.
Heritage360 specialise in the use of technology to conduct research and preserve heritage in digital formats, and have scanned the 13 objects currently on display at the Yorkshire Museum.
James Osborn from Heritage360 explained, “The technology allows for a complete 3D scan to be taken of the object and transferred onto computer software, where the digital model can be studied in more depth.
“These scans can also be used to create replicas of the objects which visitors can see and handle, allowing for up close analysis without disturbing the delicate materials that make up these incredible finds.”
One of these replica objects will be available for handling on the 24 and 25 May as part of York’s Roman Festival.
Unearthed in 2021 in North Yorkshire, the Melsonby Hoard is a once in a generation discovery of over 800 Iron Age objects and is the largest of its kind ever found in the UK.
The objects include decorated horse-harness fittings, cauldron handles and other vessels some with imported luxury materials like coral and remarkable Mediterranean-style designs that hint at international connections from over two thousand years ago.
Emily North, curator of archaeology at Yorkshire Museum said, “These scans are part of a wider initiative to conduct thorough research into the Melsonby Hoard, to better understand the objects, why they came to be buried, their material construction and how we can preserve them for the future.
“This is part of a larger campaign to raise the necessary funds for the Yorkshire Museum to acquire the hoard in its entirety before undertaking conservation.”
The crowdfunder stretch target has been raised to £70,000 as the deadline for securing the funds approaches. This campaign ends on 13 June 2025 and if the funds to secure the hoard are not raised, it could be lost forever; dispersed into private collections or taken out of the UK.
On Wednesday 28 May, the Yorkshire Museum are hosting a special lecture on the Melsonby Hoard, with all proceeds going towards the Save the Melsonby Hoard campaign.
The talk, with Sophia Adams (British Museum) and Tom Moore (Durham University), will unearth more about the hoard and how these remains provide important new insights into different aspects of life in Iron Age Britain.
The event will take place from 6-7pm in the Tempest Anderson Hall inside the Yorkshire Museum. Tickets are £15 and available here.