Museum staff describe ‘magical’ moment they uncovered 3,000-year-old Bronze Age hoard
Staff at a museum in Scotland have described the “magical” moment when conservation work revealed silver on the surface of a Bronze Age treasure hoard.
500 “unusual” bronze and organic objects were uncovered by a metal detector named Peebles Hoard for its discovery in the Scottish Borders town in 2020.
This treasure, dating back to 1000-800 BC, includes two “rattle necklaces”, a sword in a wooden sheath, and bronze buttons looped to cords.
Undisturbed for 3,000 years, conservation efforts have uncovered rare, silver-coloured objects from a time when silver was unknown; analysis showed that the color was due to high levels of tin on the surface.
This is thought to be the product of a “deliberate enrichment technique” by highly skilled craftsmen.
The hoard was acquired by the National Museums of Scotland (NMS) last year and was described as having “no archaeological equivalent anywhere in the world”.
Once discovered, it was exhumed in a single block and excavated under laboratory conditions at the NMS Collection Center in Edinburgh.
While the function of many of the artifacts is not yet known, it is thought that some of them may have decorated a horse or a wooden vehicle.
Silver-looking tin objects are likely to indicate high status and wealth.
Peebles Hoard conservator Bethan Bryan said the moment the silver color emerged from the soil was like a 3000-year-old secret being revealed.
“Working on the conservation of the Peebles Hoard is a rare privilege and certainly a career highlight,” he said.
“In addition to removing dirt and corrosion, it is also crucial that we preserve as much valuable organic material as possible for future research.
“Getting to this point has been a challenging and incredibly time-consuming process, but the moment the silvery surface began to emerge was magical, a secret revealed 3,000 years later.”
It is estimated that the conservation project will take three years to complete.
NMS’ senior curator of prehistory, Dr. Matthew Knight said the silver color of the objects was unlike anything he had ever seen before.
“The Peebles Hoard is truly a one-of-a-kind discovery, and I have never seen anything like the striking, silvery finish of these Bronze Age objects,” he said.
“They’re practically glowing. We’re making significant progress thanks to the generous support of our donors.”
“However, there is still much more to be done to prevent further deterioration of these fragile objects and to continue our research to uncover more of the Treasure’s secrets.”
