Post by UKarchaeology on Apr 2, 2016 21:30:53 GMT
After 18 months of painstaking work; removing and preserving the treasure trove of items which had been so carefully packed into the metal vessel, conservationists have released images of and details about the Viking treasure trove discovered in the Galloway region of Scotland in 2014. The hoard is nothing less than stunning; six silver Anglo-Saxon disc brooches, silver armbands, a silver brooch from Ireland, Byzantium silk, gold and silver ingots and various crystal and gold objects which had been carefully bundled in cloth, among other items.
The metal vessel containing the treasure was fashioned from a silver/copper alloy by metalworkers from the Carolingian empire and is an important and rare find in and of itself. The Carolingian empire stretched from Germany to France and was ruled by Charlemagne at one time. To date, only six Carolingian vessels (or pots) have ever been discovered and many experts believe they may have been used by the Catholic Church at important ceremonies. This has led some researchers to speculate the vessel could be plunder from a wealthy monastery raided by the Vikings.
The items, approximately 100 of them, date from the ninth century to the tenth century CE. Ancient texts date the Vikings arrival to the British Isles during the 790s CE, when vicious raiders suddenly appeared along European coasts and proceeded to plunder rich monasteries and terrorize local villages. In the following three centuries ambitious Viking rulers arrived to colonize and conquer territories in Ireland, England, Scotland and Wales, until they were eventually defeated or more likely assimilated by the population.
Full story: www.newhistorian.com/revealed-images-scottish-viking-treasure-trove/6191/
