All Aboard for the Hoard!
As we live beside the beach we are forever seeing those people with their electronic wands searching the ground for valuables and historic artefacts. They call themselves detectorists and they often make a valuable contribution to the nation’s history. And in Peebles one very lucky detectorist found an amazing hoard of Bronze Age treasures from 800- 1,000 BC. The find was a made up of more than 500 bronze metal and organic treasures which had been there for some 3,000 years. It’s an amazing discovery.
There was a bronze sword in a wooden scabbard, hanging trinkets, two rattle pendants, interlinked bronze rings used in horsemanship and leather straps and other stuff that would have normally rotted away. The detectorist reported the find as treasure trove and the hoard was lifted from the earth in a single block of earth, which explains the pristine condition of the organic parts of the find, things like leather, wood and so on. These would normally have been long gone to rot.
And soon you too will have the chance to see all these ancient wonders yourself as they have been acquired by the National Museum of Scotland. The lucky detectorist has been awarded a reward of some £80,000 which I suppose he may have to share with the farmer on whose land he was working.
The hoard is significant because it demonstrates that Scotland wasn’t culturally or economically isolated, but rather a part of a wider web of traders across the North Sea. Each trading with what are now Poland, Denmark and Germany. The discovery is so vast it will keep researchers busy for many a long year.
And as you go about your own autumnal researching for precious gifts can I wave my detectorist wand, or at least my mouse in the direction of the James Pirie autumn offers? Offers for gifts that will last the test of time, we might even call them timeless. Take for example the massive saving on the wonderful thistle inspired Flower of Scotland Whisky Set. It’s on at half price and that represents a generous saving indeed. The set comes in a classy presentation box from Royal Scot Crystal and with free delivery and free gift wrapping if you tick the box at check out. It’s a real find.
https://www.jamespirie.com/flower-of-scotland-whisky-set-thistle-shape-presentation-boxed.html
