The Torc Odyssey: Iron Age gold in Staffordshire

Enjoy this FREE talk as part of the Ellastone Fastener Project and in celebration of the Festival of Archaeology.

The Staffordshire area is renowned for gold finds. From the Bronze Age Ellastone ‘dress fastener’ and the Iron Age Leekfrith and Alrewas torcs to the early medieval Staffordshire Hoard, a number of remarkable archaeological gold objects have been found in the vicinity. This talk will look at the Iron Age gold torcs found in Staffordshire and the surrounding area, examining how they were made, what other torcs they relate to, and how they might have come to be buried. Although the torcs were made in the Iron Age, some 2000 years ago, might some have been buried much, much later and is there something special linking Staffordshire and gold, throughout the ages?

Tess Machling is an archaeologist and researcher, specialising in Iron Age gold. She works with a team of goldsmiths and silversmiths to understand how torcs were made, and what that can tell us about life over 2000 years ago. Her website, The Big Book of Torcs, is free to access and covers all aspects of torc research.

The talk will be preceded by a short update on the Ellastone Dress Fastener by Potteries Museum curators.

This event is part of the Ellastone Fastener Project, a series of events throughout 2026 and 2027. The project has been made possible with The National Lottery Heritage Fund. Thanks to National Lottery players, we have been able to build this programme of events and special speakers.