Doctor David Symons, curator of antiquities holds a cross as part of The Staffordshire Hoard, the UK's largest collection of Anglo Saxon treasure ever found, at Birmingham Museum on September 24, 2009, in Birmingham, England.
The haul of over(CNN) - A decade after the largest haul of Anglo-Saxon gold and silver was discovered in an English field, archaeologists are shedding new light on the origins of the treasure.
In "The Staffordshire Hoard: An Anglo-Saxon Treasure," a book released Friday, archeologists point to "convincing evidence" that precious Christian objects were carried as talismans into battle, most likely by priests.
Experts say the objects could be some of the earliest known examples of Anglo-Saxon ecclesiastical metalwork, blending traditional motifs with new Christian objects that were being adopted as the religion became established in England.
The collection of artifacts contains both Christian and pagan symbolism, and it bears influences from different times and places, experts say.