The Galloway Hoard

The Galloway Hoard

The Galloway Hoard is the richest collection of rare and unique Viking-age objects ever found in Britain or Ireland.

Buried around AD900, the Galloway Hoard brings together a stunning variety of materials and treasures from Ireland, the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms and as far away as Asia. The Hoard transports us back to a critical moment in history: the formation of the political entities we now know as Scotland, England and Ireland, in a time of viking raids.

The Galloway Hoard was acquired with the support of the National Heritage Memorial Fund, the Art Fund, the Scottish Government and hundreds of generous individual supporters.

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    Unwrapping the Galloway Hoard
    Goldberg, Martin
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    Maldonado, Adrián
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    Davis, Mary
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    Makin, Alexandra
    Hoards are complex groups of objects, not simply treasure buried for safe keeping and then forgotten. They are collections of items with their own histories and biographies. Things that were considered precious and important in their own right. They were buried for many reasons, often in containers and/or wrapped in textiles that do not usually survive in the ground. The Galloway Hoard was buried in c. 900 CE, a time of Viking incisions, in what was then the early medieval kingdom of Northumbria. It was discovered in 2014 by metal detectorists and after going through Treasure Trove, it is now held by National Museums Scotland. The hoard is in many ways unique, it incorporates not only gold and silver objects but beads, brooches, a black stone pendent and a rock crystal. Some were linked by braids and many were wrapped in textiles, separating them into bundles before they were placed in a lidded vessel, which was also enveloped in fabrics before it and other objects were buried in the ground. This event introduces you to this unique hoard. You will hear about the ‘Unwrapping the Galloway Hoard’ project, and how it brought together specialists from diverse fields to unlock its secrets. You will meet the team and learn about what they uncovered – the stories of silver bullion, arm rings and ingots in the Viking world, the complex material make up of beautiful beads, gold socketed mounts, a black stone pendent and a rock crystal both encased in gold, and a silver and niello vessel. You will discover the textiles that wrapped and protected all these objects; their amazing survival and their biographies. Finally, we will explore the complex meanings behind the making of this hoard and how they help us understand early medieval societies in more nuanced ways.
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    The Galloway Hoard: A Decade of Discovery panel discussion
    Goldberg, Martin
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    Maldonado, Adrián
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    Davis, Mary
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    Makin, Alexandra
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    Magnusson, Sally
    A decade on, join us as we celebrate the discovery of the Galloway Hoard and share new findings. The Galloway Hoard, buried around AD 900, was discovered by a metal detectorist on 1 September 2014 in Kirkcudbrightshire. It was allocated to National Museums Scotland in 2017 after a successful fundraising campaign supported by the National Heritage Memorial Fund and the Art Fund. The Galloway Hoard was hailed as a remarkable Viking-age treasure and, in the ten years since its discovery, has been analysed by experts from across the globe. The Hoard has not only provided researchers with a window into an early medieval world of vast horizons and networks, but also intimate family heirlooms and sacred relics. In this live online event, many of the experts who have studied the Galloway Hoard will discuss the unique insights it has revealed, and will share a vision for its future. The event includes a live Q&A chaired by writer and broadcaster Sally Magnusson.
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    The Galloway Hoard
    (2024-09-05)
    Carr, Helen
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    Goldberg, Martin
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    Davis, Mary
    ;
    Maldonado, Adrián
    A real treat for History Hit, this is an exceptional private view of a unique discovery, a glittering hoard of beautifully crafted objects in silver, gold and crystal, buried in the ground and forgotten 1100 years ago. The Galloway Hoard opens an extraordinary window into the Viking Age, a time of upheaval in South-West Scotland where it was discovered, but also a time of long-distance trade and pilgrimage, revealed by its most precious objects. Medieval historian Helen Carr joins the experts from National Museums Scotland to explore and understand this incredible group of objects. One in particular has never been seen in public before, a fascinating lidded silver vessel that is believed to have come all the way from what is now Iran to Galloway. Helen witnesses it being meticulously conserved for its first display. To find out more you can visit the excellent National Museums Scotland website where there is a wealth of information about the Galloway Hoard and where it can be seen. https://www.nms.ac.uk/discover-catalogue/galloway-hoard The lidded silver vessel will be going on special display at the British Museum's Silk Roads exhibition, starting 24th September 2024.
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