Please note: this article pre-dates the 2014 National Curriculum and some content may be outdated.

In the autumn of 2009 I saw some of the Anglo-Saxon Staffordshire Hoard on display at Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery, and stood in awe at the skills of the craftsmen. Reminded so vividly of the Anglo Saxon period I had briefly studied as a student, I sought out the Lindisfarne Gospels on display at the British Library, London. I began to wonder what the six and seven year old children in my class would make of such amazing intricacies, and how they could relate to the mystery of how they came to be.

The Classroom Investigation [a case study]

So, together we began a small investigation.

Speculation

At first we speculated on what a metal detector might find hidden in the ground. I listened as the children suggested: a bike, a sword, treasure chest, a coin, a pot of gold, a trophy, a gun and a pan.