The hearth, which dates from 1000-900 BC. and includes a full horse horn and sword, was found by Mariusz Stepien when he searched a field near Peebles, Scotland with friends on 21 June.
Mariusz Stepien made the rare discovery at a location near Peebles, Scotland. Credit: Dariusz Gucwa
Stepien discovered a bronze object buried 1.5 meters below the ground, and reported its discovery to the Treasure Trove Unit after receiving strong signals from Earth around the object.
Archaeologists worked on the site for 22 days, discovering a sword still in its shaken, decorated belts, buckles, rings, ornaments and chariots like wheel axles, as evidenced by a decorative “rattling pendant” that would have been attached to ‘ the armor – the first to be found in Scotland.
“I thought I’ve never seen such a thing before and from the beginning I felt it could be something spectacular and I’ve just discovered a great deal of Scottish history,” said Stepien, who has been around for almost nine years. detected, in a statement.
Stepien and his friends camped in the field for the duration of the 22-day excavation, deciding to watch the excavation from beginning to end.
“I was over the moon, actually shaking with happiness,” he added. “I’m so glad the earth revealed to me something that was hidden for over 3000 years. I still can not believe it happened!”
The finds included a sword and a whole horse horn. Credit: Dariusz Gucwa
This is only the second time such a haul has been discovered in Scotland, according to experts from Scotland’s Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service (COPFS).
The bottom had preserved the trove’s organic materials, such as wood and leather, allowing archaeologists to locate the belts that attached buckles and rings to make a harness – something they say they have never seen before in Britain. .
“This is a nationally important find – there have been a few Bronze Age hoards excavated in Scotland. It was a great opportunity for us to recover not only bronze artifacts but also organic material,” said Emily Freeman, head of the Treasure Trove Unit. , said in a statement.
Mariusz Stepien stands next to the yard, which is ready for transport to Edinburgh. Credit: Dariusz Gucwa
“There is still a lot of work to be done to assess the artifacts and understand why they were dropped,” she added.
The treasure cache has been removed from the site in a block of land and taken to the National Museums Collection Center in Edinburgh for further excavation and investigation, COPFS said in a statement.
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