Bronze Age hoard discovered in Highlands
A BRONZE Age hoard around 3,000 years old has been discovered during excavations for a development of homes in the Highlands.
Investigations into the discovery by Guard Archaeology have revealed that rare organic plant remains intertwined with bronze bracelets and necklaces that were buried sometime around
1000 BC.
The hoard was discovered during excavations for the development of new three and four-bedroom homes by local developer Pat Munro Homes, at Greenside, Rosemarkie in Ross-shire.
It is being regarded as extremely significant because it isn’t an isolated find and there next to no context to explain its history. The hoard was discovered in the middle of a prehistoric Bronze Age settlement village that compromised of at least six roundhouses and a cist grave.
Guard Archaeology’s analysis will give insight into how people lived , their beliefs and the how they died.
It will also add to what archaeologist have learned from another hoard excavated from a Bronze Age village in Carnoustie – it reveals aspects of people’s culture that were apparent across all of Scotland at the time.
The nine bronze artefacts included one complete neck ring, one partial neck ring, six penannular bracelets and one cup-ended penannular bracelet.
Remains of plant material was also discovered, comprising fibrous cords tied and knotted around some of the bronze objects.
Rachel Buckley, who led the laboratory excavation, said: “The recovery of the artefacts was successfully carried out under the controlled conditions necessary to preserve these highly significant objects, particularly the very delicate organic cords that tether some of the objects together.
“While there are other examples of hoards where it has been postulated that items were bound together due to their positioning, the vegetation in the Rosemarkie hoard has survived for approximately 3,000 years, proving that these artefacts were held together.”
The survival of the plants is likely to be in part due to the anti-microbial properties of copper in the bronze, where the corrosion products adhere to the organics and preserve them. Over the coming months, a team of specialists who have been brought together by Guard Archaeology will be examining the various strands of evidence that explains why the hoard was buried here.
Iraia Arabaolaza, who is managing the analyses for Guard, said: “That the hoard was buried under a single homogenous fill within a shallow pit with little extra room for anything other than what was found within, indicates that this was no accidental loss. It may be that it was intended as temporary storage with the intention of recovering the hoard at some stage.”
The archaeological work was funded by Pat Munro and was required as a condition of planning consent by Highland Council.
Hamish Little, senior manager at Pat Munro Homes said: “It’s been a great experience for the team at Pat Munro Homes to work with the archaeologists at our development at Greenside, Rosemarkie.
“We are hoping to work together with the archaeologists and other partners in the coming months to involve the local secondary school, Fortrose Academy, in learning more about its historical significance and getting pupils involved in helping to design a permanent feature on/near the site that will tell the story and can be shared with the local community and visitors to the area.”
The vegetation in the Rosemarkie hoard has survived for approximately 3,000 years