[MR] BBC: Part of Galloway Hoard Traced to Asia

[Garth Groff and Sally Sanford]

Noble Friends,

According to a BBC story, part of the famous Galloway Hoard came from
central Iran.

The treasure was found during 2014 by a metal detectorist in
Kirkculbrightshire (Galloway), Scotland. The hoard includes gold, silver
and crystal objects, as well as beads and other trinkets. The largest item
was a lidded urn, wrapped in fabric, which contained some of the objects.
Originally thought to have been made in western Europe, upon later
examination the urn was discovered to have Zoroastrian motifs, and is now
thought to have been crafted in Iran. Some of the textiles from the hoard
have been identified as silk, further confirming the cosmopolitan nature of
the collection. Other treasures are Celtic and Anglo-Saxon.

While generally called a "Viking" hoard, there is no actual proof the
Galloway hoard was deposited by a viking. However, vikings were active in
this area during the 9th century, and the broad range of objects suggests
Viking trade or plunder (both of which they were really, really good at).

Most of the treasure is held by the National Museums Scotland in Edinburgh.
The urn is on loan to the British Museum, and will be displayed in their
new "Silk Roads" exhibition.

The BBC story is at https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c5y8wj8g5yjo .

More on the Galloway Hoard can be found at
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Galloway_Hoard .

The National Musuems Scotland offers extensive web pages on the Galloway
Hoard at https://www.nms.ac.uk/discover-catalogue/galloway-hoard . Pay
particular attention to their sub-page, "How 'Viking' is the Galloway
Hoard?" which discusses the origins of some of the treasures.

Highlights of the British Museum's "Silk Roads" exhibition are at
https://www.britishmuseum.org/exhibitions/silk-roads .

Yours Aye,


Mungo Napier, Laird of Mallard Lodge  🦆
Continuing a crusade to keep Merry Rose Relevant and in business.