'Exceptional' 3,000-year treasure hoard saved for Scotland as metal detectorist rewarded with windfall
One of the most significant hoards of treasure ever found in Scotland has been saved for the nation.
The Bronze Age Peebles Hoard, which lay undisturbed for 3,000 years, was discovered by metal detectorist Mariusz Stephen in the Scottish Borders in June 2020.
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Hide AdIt has now been acquired by National Museums Scotland with Mr Stephen, who has been praised for his “diligence” in reporting his find, receiving £80,000 for the discovery.
Dating to 1000–800 BCE, the hoard is made up of more than 500 unusual bronze and organic pieces.
Experts believe the treasures are capable of “transforming our understanding of Bronze Age Scotland” given they illustrate a country linked to an international network of communities across the North Sea.
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Hide AdTwo rattle pendants, which would have been fixed to a horse or cart to make a noise when on the move, are the first to be found in Scotland. They are more commonly found in Denmark, northern Germany and northern Poland.
A sword still in its wooden scabbard and an array of small bronze buttons looped onto cords are among “other exceptional survivals”.
Dr Matthew Knight, senior curator of prehistory at National Museums Scotland, said: “The Peebles Hoard is exceptional, an utterly unique discovery that rewrites our understanding of both Bronze Age communities in Scotland and our prehistoric international connections.“
Tiny bronze pins, studs and bosses embedded in wood and leather were also discovered along with the remains of complex decorative straps.
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Hide AdThey have been well preserved in the ground and offer a level of detail and insight “not usually glimpsed” for the Bronze Age.
Mr Stephen, a builder, reported his find to the Treasure Trove Unit, which worked with National Museums Scotland on a “complex retrieval process” that involved removing the hoard and its fragile elements from the ground in a single block.
A value of £80,000 for the hoard was decided by the Scottish Archaeological Finds Allocation Panel (SAFAP) as part of the Treasure Trove Process.
The panel also judged the hoard should be allocated to National Museums Scotland. This money was paid by the King’s and Lord’s Treasurer’s Remembrancer to the finder, having been paid to the Crown by National Museums Scotland. Examination of the hoard by the µ-VIS X-ray Imaging Centre at the University of Southampton revealed crucial details of the internal structure and relationships between materials in their original context.
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Hide AdCT scanning also revealed some of the objects were produced using ‘lost-wax casting’, a rare technique in Bronze Age Britain, with the hoard presenting some of the earliest evidence of the method being used in Scotland.
Dr Knight said: “Thanks to the diligence of the finder, expertise of colleagues at the Treasure Trove Unit and National Museums Scotland, and the generosity of the team at the µ-VIS X-ray Imaging Centre, University of Southampton, we have made significant progress.
“However, more funding is critical to continue our conservation and research, to preserve the hoard for future generations and uncover the stories of Scotland’s ancient past.”
Efforts are now underway to secure funding for the continued research and conservation of the hoard and to uncover the secrets of the discovery.
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Hide AdFragile organic material within the hoard requires essential conservation to prevent further deterioration and to carry out critical research.
National Museums Scotland is preparing to launch a fundraising campaign to support the urgent costs of conserving the hoard and “unlocking its enormous research potential”.
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