Contents of Galloway Viking treasure pot finally revealed!

Scottish detectorist Derek McLennan discovered a unique Viking treasure some time ago, consisting of many pieces of silver, gold and other artefacts, including a magnificent pot with previously hidden contents. However, that finally changed last week when the contents were finally removed and released to the public after prior scanning by experts following preservation. What was hidden in the pot took the breath away from even the most experienced experts...

Mr McLennan found the treasure back in 2014. It contained a number of silver and gold objects, and it was this lidded pot that has been thrilling experts and lay enthusiasts around the world with its hidden contents all along. I have been following the whole story for a long time; it began with an article about Derek's find in the autumn of 2014, continued with a truly thrilling adventure in scanning the contents of the pot, and today this 'trilogy' ends with its current revelation.

The contents of the pot, like the rest of the hoard, which experts rank among the most important Viking discoveries in Scotland, date back to the 9th and 10th centuries. The pot has been opened under laboratory conditions and with the greatest care for over a thousand years! It is hard to imagine the excitement of uncovering its contents. It must have been an amazing experience...

Richard Welander of Historic Environment Scotland commented, "Before removing the objects themselves, we first scanned the pot using a special CT scanning method to get a rough idea of what was inside. This procedure alone provided an exciting spectacle, yet we were not prepared for what was yet to come! These amazing objects give us an unrivalled insight into the times and mindset of Vikingers in the Galloway area all those years ago. They tell of perceptions of time, reveal manifestations of royal rivalry and some objects even reflect a sense of humour for which the Vikings were not always renowned."

So what did the artfully crafted Carolingian pot conceal? After more than 1,000 years, a total of six magnificent Anglo-Saxon silver brooches, gold, silver and crystal objects and jewellery, ivory beads coated with silver, an incredibly finely crafted gold pendant, a silver brooch originally from Ireland and very fine Byzantine fabrics...

The treasure must have been very significant to its original owner. Probably for a religious ceremony rather than a real depot, ready for later retrieval. The way the items were stored suggests this. Each piece in the pot was carefully wrapped and stored. Even the fabric itself was of the highest quality at the time, something that only the highest church leaders, rulers or very wealthy noblemen could boast.

For archaeologists, this is a rich source of completely new knowledge and insights into the life of the Viking9th and 10th centuries. Experts therefore rank the find among the most important treasures not only in Scotland.

Now the treasure will be recognised by a special committee. It will then be offered for sale to Scottish museums. When it is sold, Derek will receive a reward worth the market value of the find, which he will share with the landowner, the church. It is estimated that the reward could realistically be close to £1 million, or about £34 million. Derek himself, however, has made no secret of his intentions to dispose of the reward. Some time ago he founded the Beyond the Beep project, which we also wrote about. As you can see, luck just picked the right finder...

Sources: bbc.com, mirror.co.uk, nationalgeographic.com, beyondthebeep.com