Hoard of Bronze Age Objects Discovered in Scottish Field

An average day in a field for an amateur archeologist in Scotland turned into a day filled with excitement this summer. Using a metal detector, Mariusz Stepien heard a ping, paused, dug, and then uncovered the first of what turned out to be a cache of Bronze Age (3000 – 1200 BC) objects in a Scottish field. Experts are calling it a “nationally significant” discovery. The objects, dating from 1,000 – 900 BC, include a complete horse harness, a sword still in its scabbard, decorated straps, buckles, rings, ornaments and chariot wheel axle caps, as well as evidence of a decorative “rattle pendant” that would have been attached to the harness — the first to be found in Scotland. Archeologists, notified by Stepien, worked the site near Peebles, Scotland, for 22 days. The soil had preserved the objects’ organic materials, such as wood and leather. This allowed the archaeologists to trace the straps, which connected buckles and rings to make a harness — something they say has never been seen before in Britain.

“This is a nationally significant find — so few Bronze Age hoards have been excavated in Scotland, it was an amazing opportunity for us to not only recover bronze artifacts, but organic material as well,” Emily Freeman, Head of the Treasure Trove Unit, said in a statement.

Photo: Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service