A TODDLER FINDS A MILLION-DOLLAR MEDIEVAL PENDANT BURIED IN A FIELD
Digging for buried treasure is a nearly universal make-believe activity for kids. However, it became a reality for a four-year-old in Essex, England. James Hyatt was tinkering with his father's metal detector in May 2009 when it started blaring frantically. When they delved further into the ground, they discovered a precious golden reliquary that was said to have been created more than 500 years ago in the 16th century.
They were strolling across a field in Hockley when "all of a sudden [they] got a buzz from the metal detector, quite a powerful buzz," according to James' father, Jason Hyatt. They "dug six to eight inches down and lo and behold…a flash of gold," Hyatt continued. They moved the soil around till they pulled this flash of gold to the surface, exposing a stunning locket fashioned like a diamond. The names of the Magi and pictures of Christ and a female holy figure (maybe Mary or St. Helena) were etched on it.
When the Hockley necklace was found, neither the locket mechanism nor its intricate intricacies could be deciphered right away. Following an inquest, the pendant was formally designated as treasure and, in accordance with the Treasure Act of 1996, was purchased by the British Museum in 2012. Up to 2.5 million British pounds was the estimated value of the locket.
Later, Marilyn Hockey of the museum's conservation efforts provided additional information about the enigmatic locket. According to an object entry written by the British Museum, the pendant, which weighed around a third of an ounce and had a gold content of up to 73%, was probably "worn by a wealthy individual as a discreet statement of piety" and "reveals the dual nature of religious jewelry in the early 16th century, as a decoration and a holy amulet." The pendant, which was probably filled with vibrantly painted enamel, has engravings of sacred names and symbols.
The locket was also reopened for the first time in millennia thanks to Hockey's conservation efforts. The size of the locket would have presumably let some remnant of a relic, possibly a piece of the True Cross, to stay therein, yet all that was left in the cavity of the back panel were a few flax strands. It is claimed that the True Cross, which St. Helena brought to Constantinople from the Holy Land, was the real cross on which Jesus Christ was crucified.
Since its purchase in 2010, the Hockley Pendant has been on display in a few exhibitions and is currently part of the permanent collection of the British Museum. James Hyatt and the owner of the property where this valuable locket was discovered split a portion of the sale proceeds in accordance with the Treasure Act's regulations. A four-year-old's treasure hunt game culminated in a genuine, museum-worthy discovery, proving that, occasionally, childhood fantasies do come true.
