Detector find conquers the world: Viking treasure begins tour in Australia

One of the UK's most valuable treasures - the so-called Galloway Hoard, a collection of gold and silver objects discovered by a metal detectorist a decade ago, is to travel abroad for the first time. It will begin an international tour in Australia in February, visiting several continents in succession.

The Galloway Hoard was deposited around 900 AD. It was discovered in the south of Scotland in 2014 by retired soldier and detectorist Derek McLennan. The collection contains gold and silver objects from various parts of Europe and Western Asia, including an Anglo-Saxon cross, pendants, brooches, bracelets and relics. It was acquired by the National Museum of Scotland (NMS) in 2017 thanks to public collections, non-profits and government grants for nearly £61 million. It will be on display at the Australian Museum Adelaide from February to July next year.

Research into the treasure has been ongoing until recently: 'The collection has undergone meticulous conservation, cleaning and cutting-edge research', the National Museum of Scotland said. Fine decorations, inscriptions and other hidden details of the collection have been uncovered almost 1,100 years after it was put in the ground. In September, experts discovered that part of the collection came from areas of western Asia. The seemingly Carolingian silver vessel, wrapped in textiles, made its way to Europe from central Iran more than a thousand years ago across half of the then-known world.

Some of the items in the hoard are too fragile to be transported long distances. The museum will therefore combine some of the artifacts present with an audiovisual 3D reconstruction. Visitors will, for example, see the individual layers and objects of the treasure as they were gradually uncovered by experts in laboratory conditions.

The exhibition entitled "Treasures Of The Viking Age: The Galloway Hoard" reveals four distinct layers: the top part was a set of silver bars and a rare Anglo-Saxon cross. The next layer contained double the number of silver bars wrapped in leather. This was followed by a cluster of four ornate silver 'ribbon' bracelets around a small wooden box containing three gold objects. The last was a silver gilded vessel with a lid. It was wrapped in several layers of fabric and contained carefully wrapped objects such as pendants, brooches, bracelets, relics and other curiosities, often wrapped in silk.

"The Galloway hoard is a rich collection in every sense of the word of rare and unique examples of gold and silver objects," said Dr. David Gaimster, Chief Executive of the South Australian Museum "Overall, this treasure challenges the popular understanding of this period of world history. The treasure reveals vast networks of exchange and trade that stretched from Scandinavia and the Atlantic across Central Asia to the Silk Road," he added.

Roman Nemec

Sources: nms.ac.uk, bbc.com, news.stv.tv

• Early Medieval metal detector finds on LP: Early Medieval metal detector finds on LP

Part of the gold artefact assemblage

detail of fabric

beads and jewellery

Beads

silver bars

Galloway Treasure

Silver pot with decoration and preserved fabric

Unique Anglo-Saxon silver gilt cross

selection