The exhibition offers visitors a rare opportunity to explore some of the most remarkable finds in local history, while uncovering the people, places and moments that shaped our shared past.
00:00What do we treasure? A beloved football shirt passed down through the generations, a child's first drawing stuck to the fridge.
00:08These modern mementos may not be made of gold or silver, but they carry immense personal meaning, just like the items on display here at the Museum of Liverpool.
00:19The exhibition is about celebrating treasure across the North West and North Wales.
00:24And what we mean by treasure is a very specific legal definition that's changed over time.
00:29So really the exhibition is exploring how that definition has changed, how our attitudes towards treasure has changed, and really celebrating beautiful objects that are found in our region.
00:40Treasure History Unearthed is the latest exhibition to arrive at the Museum of Liverpool, featuring the most extensive collection of archaeological treasures ever displayed in the North West of England and Wales.
00:51It delves into the deep-rooted ties between Liverpool and North Wales, a relationship shaped over thousands of years.
00:59So it's really important to the Museum of Liverpool because it's the first archaeological exhibition that we've ever hosted.
01:05It's also important because we're engaging in the wider area around us, so we've really incorporated finds from the North West and from North Wales.
01:13It's bringing together pieces that have never been seen before.
01:16We've got stunning objects from Wales that have never been on display in England before.
01:20And we're really excited that we're able to do this exhibition in dual language in both Welsh and English.
01:24By the early 20th century, this connection was clearly visible, with the Liverpool home to one of the largest Welsh communities in the UK, numbering around 75,000 residents.
01:37This exhibition features significant objects unearthed in Wales, loaned by regional and national museums in Wales and England.
01:43These items on temporary loan will return to their home collections following the exhibition.
01:49So we hope that people will come away from this exhibition, understanding the rich heritage that they have on their doorstep and understanding the connections that we have across the North West and North Wales.
01:58We also hope that people will come away with an appreciation of what treasure means, responsible metadetecting and recording.
02:04So I'm what's called a finds liaison officer. We support people who find archaeological objects in England and Wales.
02:11So if you're, say, out metadetecting or perhaps gardening or just out for a walk and you find something that you think might be really interesting, then you contact your local finds liaison officer.
02:18And if you're in Cheshire, Manchester, Middyside, that would be me.
02:21So we'll be able to tell you what the object is, how old it is and whether or not it qualifies as treasure.
02:25And we help to facilitate these objects, perhaps getting into museum collections as well.
02:29Treasure History Unearthed is on display at the Museum of Liverpool until the 29th of March 2026.
02:37One of my favourite objects is the earlier medieval silver gilt cup, which is called the Holton Moor Cup.
02:46So that's part of a bigger hoard. But the cup itself is really lovely.
02:48It's got this beautiful, intricate decoration of these animals and sort of roundels.
02:53They're sort of fantastic and really interesting objects. So I was very excited when that came into the museum.
Be the first to comment