Decode the mysterious Viking treasure

Researchers in Scotland have studied and analyzed a series of mysterious artefacts dating back to the Viking period with a grant worth 1 million pounds..

The rare artefacts, collectively known as the Galloway Hoard, were previously found by archaeologists in a field in Dumfries and Galloway. Then, the National Museum of Scotland (NMS) bought it all.

Under the “Unwrapping the Galloway Hoard” project, carried out by NMS in partnership with the University of Glasgow, researchers plan to examine these extremely rare artefacts in detail.

The hoard includes a range of precious metal and jewelry items, including a rare gold ingot, a unique gold bird-shaped pin and a decorated silver-plated vase containing beads, amulets of glass, rock crystal, a silver brooch, 5 Anglo-Saxon brooches never before found in Scotland.

Martin Goldberg, principal curator of medieval archeology and history at NMS, explains that while hoards are most commonly understood as buried wealth, with a focus on events surrounding the time burial, the Galloway Hoard challenges this view. This is a rare opportunity to clarify the unknown mysteries of the Vikings.

“We have discovered many things through conservation work and everyone will be able to see that in the upcoming exhibition. However, this research project will allow to go even further by using scientific engineering and international cooperation”, said Martin Goldberg.

While “Unwrapping the Galloway Hoard” is a three-year project, the artifacts are expected to be displayed as part of the exhibition in 2021.