Scottish seal matrices: a Treasure Trove dataset

This paper introduces a research project into the rich but much understudied dataset of seal matrices recorded by Scotland’s Treasure Trove Unit. The project synthesises the data and, for the first time, considers the development of late medieval Scottish matrices in a wider British context. Preliminary observations suggest the Scottish material has some key differences, for example in form and material choice, legend types, and matrices of women. The paper also touches upon the difficult question of regionalised variances and explores some of the limits of the dataset. There is a predominant focus on seal matrices of lower status individuals and this is placed into the wider context of chance finds in Britain, mostly recovered through the increasingly popular activity of metal detecting.