One of the most significant hoards ever found in Scotland has been acquired by National Museums Scotland.
The Bronze Age Peebles Hoard was discovered in the Scottish Borders by a metal detectorist in 2020. Since then, it has been meticulously excavated, analyzed, and catalogued, revealing dozens of rare objects for the first time. Efforts are underway to secure funding for ongoing research and conservation of the hoard, aiming to uncover the secrets of this unique discovery.
Dating to between 1000 and 800 BCE, the Peebles Hoard consists of over 500 unusual bronze and organic artefacts that had remained undisturbed for 3,000 years. It has been allocated to National Museums Scotland through the Treasure Trove process, and an ex-gratia payment was made to the detectorist who found it. The hoard represents a complex collection of materials, some of which have no archaeological parallels anywhere in Western Europe. This includes many unique artefacts, the uses of which remain unknown and could significantly enhance our understanding of life in Bronze Age Scotland.
Larger and more recognizable objects within the hoard highlight Bronze Age Scotland’s involvement in an international network of communities across the North Sea. Among the findings are two rattle pendants, the first ever discovered in Scotland, typically found in Denmark, northern Germany, and northern Poland. These remarkable items are made of interlinked bronze rings and pendant plates, designed to hang from a horse or wooden vehicle, producing a rattling sound as they moved.
Other exceptional items include a sword still in its wooden scabbard and a collection of small bronze buttons threaded onto cords. The hoard also contains rare examples of minute bronze pins, studs, and bosses embedded in wood or leather. Additionally, remains of complex decorative straps, whose purpose is yet to be investigated, are remarkably preserved and mostly articulated after more than three millennia underground.
This level of preservation provides insights rarely seen from the Bronze Age. The hoard was discovered by metal detectorist Mariusz Stępień in 2020, who identified unusual bronze objects and reported the find to the Treasure Trove Unit. This report enabled experts from National Museums Scotland and the Treasure Trove Unit to coordinate a complex retrieval process, removing the hoard from the ground in a single block and continuing excavation and analysis in laboratory conditions.
Dr 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.”
