Bronze Age Dress Fastener Sparks £150K Museum Fundraising Frenzy!

The Potteries Museum & Art Gallery in Hanley, Stoke-on-Trent, is working hard to keep a very special piece of history. This piece is a 3,000-year-old dress fastener from the Bronze Age, which was found in 2023 in Ellastone, Staffordshire. The museum needs to raise one hundred and fifty thousand pounds to buy the fastener and keep it in their collection. So far, they have reached an important milestone by collecting ten thousand pounds in donations. The museum thanked everyone who donated and said it was a fantastic achievement. The money was raised with the help of The Friends of The Potteries Museums & Art Gallery and many people from the public who care about history.

The dress fastener was discovered by Jonathan Needham, a retired tree surgeon from Nottinghamshire. He found the item while he was in a field, wearing a scruffy jumper, jacket, cap, and glasses. The fastener is made of gold and has a curved shape with conical ends. It is considered one of the finest examples ever found, and only seven others like it have been recorded in England and Wales. The city council described it as a rare and important find. The museum hopes to display the fastener in their archaeology galleries, where visitors can see it and learn about the Bronze Age.

In addition to the ten thousand pounds already raised, the museum has secured a sixty thousand pound pledge from Art Fund, but this money will only be given if the rest of the funds are raised. The museum is now closing this part of their fundraising campaign and will look for other ways to reach their goal. If they succeed, the dress fastener will not only be on display for the public but will also be available for research. This will help experts learn more about prehistoric Staffordshire and the people who lived there thousands of years ago. The museum encourages people to stay involved and support their efforts to keep this unique treasure in the region.