The hoard is the most important Viking discovery in Scotland for over 100 years. The items from within the vessel, which may have been accumulated over a number of generations, reveal objects from across Europe and from other cultures with non-Viking origins. The hoard includes six silver Anglo-Saxon disc brooches of early 9th century date, equal in itself to the largest such hoard of brooches from England, the Pentney hoard in the British Museum.
Other material includes a silver penannular brooch from Ireland, Byzantium silk from around modern-day Istanbul, a gold ingot and some gold and crystal objects that have been carefully wrapped in cloth bundles. At the moment, their purpose remains a mystery. While it’s clear many of the objects collected have a value as precious metal, the nature of the hoard remains a mystery, and includes objects in base metals and glass beads which have no obvious value. The decision about which material to include in the vessel appears to have been based on complex and highly personal notions of how an individual valued an object as much as the bullion value the objects represented.
The vessel contents are now with the Treasure Trove Unit, who are responsible for assessing the value of the hoard on behalf of the Office of Queen's and Lord Treasurer's Remembrancer. The hoard will then be offered for allocation to Scottish museums, with the finder eligible for the market value of the find – a cost that will be met by the successful museum.
The objects were found by metal detectorist Derek McClennan in a field in Galloway in September 2014.
See more photos on the Historic Scotland Instagram page: www.instagram.com/historicscotland/