Since the onset of large scale metal detecting activity in the 1970s there has been a huge increase in new finds in England.  In her book, Viking Identities: Scandinavian Jewellery in England Jane Kershaw states "The vast majority of the Scandinavian-style jewelry recovered in England - 450 items, around 89 per cent of the total corpus - represent single finds, discovered via metal detecting."  Among these are many amulets, Thor's Hammers, coins, horse mounts and much female ornaments, including brooches and pendants.

This new material has shown that the Viking settlement in England was quite a bit larger than ever imagined!  

In the last few years metal detecting has reached quite a lot of fame with the find of Anglo-Saxon artifacts in Saffordshire.  A hoard of over 3,500 items from the time of the Anglo-Saxon kingdom of Mercia.  The hoard was valued at over 3 million pounds!

Most of the finds were of military source, the most impressive being these cheek plates.