A HOARD of Bronze Age gold will be the subject of a treasure inquest held this week.

Following the discovery of several items through the use of a metal detector, one of Cumbria’s assistant coroners will soon rule on who is the legal owner of the hoard.

The magnificent collection of gold jewellery was found in Urswick in April. The items found include a bracelet, three lock rings and a segment from a copper cauldron.

Estimates have been made as to the age of the items unearthed, placing them between 1150BC and 800BC.

Ulverston archaeologist Dan Elsworth, director of Greenlane Archaeology, gave insight into what life was like thousands of years ago in the Furness peninsula.

He said: “They wouldn’t be much different to us back then. They were settled farmers working the land.”

Mr Elsworth said gold items were not uncommon during this period with Furness having links to gold mining areas in Wales and Cornwall. However, the reason the gold was buried in the first place is a harder mystery to solve.

He said: “There are a lot of theories about this. They could bury them to come back to get it at some point.”

He added that burying items for a later day was the equivalent of a Bronze Age safety deposit box at a bank.

Information from The Portable Antiquities Scheme postulates that lock rings, such as the ones found in Urswick, are normally found in pairs due to their use as hair decorations or earrings.

Analysis of the land where they were found shows they were laid in a small hollow under the prehistoric sub-soil and clay. They were then covered with stones.

This is not the first time treasure has been found in the area. A Viking hoard of 92 silver coins was discovered in Furness in 2011.

At the time it was the largest discovery of Viking artefacts to be found in the area.

Commenting on the rich archaeological potential of south Cumbria, Mr Elsworth added: “There is more and more stuff being found as people go out with their metal detectors. There is clearly still a lot to be found in the area.”

On Wednesday assistant coroner for Cumbria Paul O’Donnell will attend Barrow Town Hall to rule on the hoard.

If he rules the hoard as treasure the British Museum is given the opportunity to acquire the find for its collection.

If that happens the finder may be allocated a reward based on the treasure’s market value, as could the owner of the land it was found on.