It's an unprecedented find that could revolutionize ideas about medieval England's Germanic rulers: An amateur treasure-hunter searching a farmer's field with a metal detector unearthed a huge collection of Anglo-Saxon gold and silver artifacts.

The discovery sent a thrill through Britain's archaeological community, which said Thursday that it offers new insight into the world of the Anglo-Saxons, who ruled England from the fifth century until the 1066 Norman invasion and whose cultural influence is still felt throughout the English-speaking world.

Favorite line: "The hoard was officially declared treasure by a coroner on Thursday." See, that's what coroners do in the UK. When you find a hoard, they examine it to see if it's treasure. Not surprisingly, their job satisfaction levels are much higher than their counterparts in the United States, who tend to handle corpses rather than golden coins, precious gems and magical, legendary blades.