‘Utterly unique’ Bronze Age hoard saved for the 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 and was found by metal detectorist Mariusz Stepien in 2020, comprises more than 500 bronze and organic pieces that had lain undisturbed for more than 3,000 years.

These include a number of unique artefacts whose function is not yet understood, which experts said 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 more commonly found in Denmark, northern Germany and northern Poland.

The hoard also includes a sword still inside a wooden scabbard, bronze buttons looped on to cords, and the unusually well preserved remains of complex decorative straps, the purpose of which is yet to be discovered.

The hoard has now been acquired by National Museums Scotland, and efforts are under way to secure funding for the continued 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, which was then further excavated and analysed under laboratory conditions.

This included the entire block of earth being CT scanned at a specialist imaging facility at the University of Southampton, which captured details of the internal structure of the hoard, and relationships between items in their original context.

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.”

National Museums Scotland is now launching a fundraising campaign to support the costs of conserving the hoard, and of unlocking its research potential.

It is one of the leading museum groups in the UK and Europe and it looks after collections of national and international importance.

The organisation provides loans, partnerships, research and training in Scotland and internationally.