The Peebles Hoard: Hundreds of unique Bronze Age items found by detectorist saved for nation

An “utterly unique” hoard of hundreds of Bronze Age items discovered by a metal detectorist in the Scottish Borders has been saved for the nation after it was acquired by the national museum.

The Peebles Hoard, which dates from 1000-800 BCE, was found by metal detectorist Mariusz Stepien in 2020. It is made up of more than 500 bronze and organic pieces that have laid undisturbed for more than 3,000 years.

These include a number of unique artefacts. The function of many of the items is not yet understood, and experts believe it could transform our understanding of Bronze Age Scotland.

Experts also say the hoard highlights Scotland’s position in an international network of communities across the North Sea, pointing to two “rattle pendants” which are the first ever found in Scotland.

These interlinked bronze rings and pendant plates, which would have hung from a horse or vehicle and rattled as they moved, are usually found in Denmark, northern Germany and northern Poland.

The hoard also includes a sword still inside a wooden scabbard, bronze buttons looped onto cords, and the unusually well-preserved remains of complex decorative straps.

The hoard has now been acquired by National Museums Scotland, and efforts are underway to secure funding for research and conservation of this “exceptional” find.

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.

“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.”

After being reported as a Treasure Trove to National Museum Scotland the hoard was excavated from the ground in a single block of earth, and analysed under laboratory conditions.

The entire block of earth was CT scanned at a specialist imaging facility at the University of Southampton, which captured details of the internal structure of the hoard.

The scanning process also showed some of the objects in the hoard had been made using “lost-wax casting”, which experts say represents some of the earliest evidence of the use of this process in Scotland.

Professor Ian Sinclair, founder of the µ-VIS X-ray Imaging Centre at the University of Southampton where the scanning was carried out, said: “We are pleased and excited to have worked as part of this multidisciplinary project.

“CT-scanning the hoard was certainly a big challenge due to the scale of the hoard block, but we relished the opportunity to bring our engineering skills to successfully support this research on such an exceptional historical find.”

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