Experts have revealed that a lidded urn which was part of the Galloway Hoard discovered in 2014 originated in modern-day Iran
The silver vessel was still wrapped in ancient textiles and was found to contain other treasures, like silk and brooches. The textiles have been partially extracted and preserved, while the vessel has undergone laser cleaning to eliminate green corrosion, unveiling intricate design details such as crowns, fire altars, leopards, and tigers.
This imagery is uncommon in Western Europe but is associated with the iconography of Zoroastrianism, the state religion of the Sasanian Empire, the last Persian empire before the early Muslim conquests from 632 AD.
The Galloway Hoard was discovered in 2014 by metal detectorist Derek McLennan at Balmaghie, Kirkcudbrightshire. It contains over 5kg of silver, gold and other materials dating to around AD 900.
Dr Martin Goldberg from the National Museums Scotland said the vessel was “further evidence of the cosmopolitan make-up of the Galloway Hoard”.
He said: “We now know that the Viking-age silver that makes up most of the Hoard was melted down from coins and metalwork from early medieval England.
“Some objects, like the lidded vessel, stood out from the rest and the scientific analysis now confirms this.
“It is incredible to imagine how the vessel made its journey halfway round the known world, from Iran to this distant corner of southwest Scotland.”
The artefact is set to go on public display for the first time next week, on loan to the British Museum’s upcoming Silk Roads exhibition in London.
Dr Sue Brunning, from the British Museum, said: “We’re delighted that visitors to Silk Roads will be the first in the world to see this key object from the Galloway Hoard.
“Among its remarkable contents were Scotland’s earliest recorded silk, and so it is a highly appropriate inclusion in the exhibition.”
Other objects from the Galloway Hoard will go on long-term display at the National Museum of Scotland in Edinburgh, while some will go on show at Kirkcudbright Galleries.
