Since its inception, the Portable Antiquities Scheme has recorded almost 100 Anglo-Saxon gold and garnet pendants found by metal-detectorists scanning fields in the English countryside, with the concentration of pendants predominately discovered in Norfolk, Lincolnshire and Kent. These exquisite 7th century adornments, typically found in high-status female graves, herald a renaissance in the display of feminine opulence following the era of lavish ‘princely’ barrow burials epitomised by the iconic Sutton Hoo (Suffolk). In 2023, an extraordinary cache of these pendants was serendipitously uncovered near Donington-on-Bain, East Lindsey, by two metal-detectorists. This assemblage, potentially signifying a disturbed high-status female grave or perhaps a concealed hoard, provides a tantalizing glimpse into the past. This talk delves into the corpus of Anglo-Saxon gold pendants in Lincolnshire, sourced from both archaeological contexts and the PAS. It contemplates the locations of these discoveries as markers of women's presence in the landscape, their connections to significant routeways, topographical features, and the contemporary high-status sites within the historic kingdom of Lindsey and beyond.

Dr. Lisa Brundle is the Portable Antiquities Scheme's Finds Liaison Officer for Lincolnshire.