Bronze Age neck rings reunited

The torc was found close to the site of an earlier discovery

A Bronze Age necklace - said to be one of only five in the UK - is to be reunited with gold jewellery found nearby more than 40 years before.

The plain torc, found in Moulsford, Oxfordshire, is to go on show at the Museum of Reading with another more ornate neck ring found in April, 1960.

The latest find was discovered in a wheat field on 7 December, 2001.

The necklace, dating from 1150 to 750BC, was found near the site of the other torc, dating from about 1200BC.

'Wonderfully intriguing'

Brian Allen, chairman of the National Art Collections Fund, which helped to buy the torc, said: "The torc is a singular and beautiful object, a resonant symbol of ancient wealth and power.

"It will make a stunning partner to the Bronze Age torc bought for the museum's collection with the help of the Art Fund in 1960."

Catherine Wilton, Reading Borough Council's culture boss, said: "It is a pleasure to see the wonderfully intriguing Moulsford Torc on display in the Museum of Reading for the first time."

The museum declined to say how much the two torcs were worth.

The pair will go on show from Sunday at the Museum of Reading to mark National Archaeology Day.