Gallows Hillach, located near Thetford in Norfolk, England, became the site of a significant discovery in November 1979, now housed in the British Museum. Dating back to the mid- to late 4th century AD, this hoard consists of a diverse assortment of items. It includes thirty-three silver spoons and three silver strainers, twenty-two gold rings, four gold bracelets, four necklaces, five gold chain necklaces, two pairs of items, a clasp necklace, a gold amulet designed as a pendant, an unfinished engraved gemstone, four beads (one emerald and three made of glass), and a gold belt buckle adorned with a dancing satyr motif. All of these treasures were originally contained within a small cylindrical slate box with a lid.
The circumstances of this discovery were quite unfortunate. The individual who found these items did so without the knowledge or permission of the site's owners, which had recently been designated for construction work. The discovery took place late on a November afternoon in poor lighting conditions. The finder hurriedly collected the material, possibly missing some smaller items. Because he knew he had no legal right to search the area, he did not report the discovery to the authorities, as required by law. Instead, he attempted to sell the objects to private buyers. When archaeologists eventually learned of the find several months later, the site had already been developed, making a proper archaeological investigation impossible. Moreover, it was impossible to question the finder about the circumstances, as he was terminally ill and passed away approximately a month later in July 1980. Persistent rumors suggesting that the hoard originally included coins remain unconfirmed and unconvincingly denied. Even if no coins were present, it is likely that the group we see today is incomplete. The lack of information surrounding the discovery makes it particularly challenging to speculate about the hoard's nature and the reasons behind its burial in antiquity.