APPLEBY ARCHAEOLOGY GROUP HEAR ABOUT VIKING HOARD FOUND IN THE DUMFRIES AND GALLOWAY AREA

Appleby Archaeology Group’s next meeting will hear a lecture by Andrew Nicholson on the Viking Hoard that was found near Kirkcudbright in Dumfries and Galloway.

The Galloway Hoard has been described as: “The richest collection of rare & unique Vikingage objects ever found in Britain or Ireland.

"One of the most important UK archaeological finds of the century”

It was found  by a metal detectorist, Derek McLennan in a field at Balmaghie near Kirkcudbright in 2014, and was excavated by Andrew Nicholson.

Buried around AD900, the Galloway Hoard brings together a stunning variety of materials and treasures from Ireland and the AngloSaxon kingdoms, even 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 & Ireland, in a time of Viking raids.

It contains over 100 diverse objects, from silver, gold and jewelled treasures to rarely-surviving textiles, including wool, linen and Scotland’s earliest examples of silk.

The objects include: a silver pendant cross, a unique gold bird-shaped pin, a decorated silvergilt lidded vessel, a large collection of Anglo-Saxon metalwork with two examples of an entirely new type of Anglo-Saxon cross-shaped brooch and unique multi-hinged straps, three golden jewels often referred to as 'aestels', in a silken-cord bundle; and a gold-mounted rock-crystal flask or jar contained in a silk-lined pouch.

Andrew Nicholson is an archaeologist with Dumfries and Galloway Council, he determines archaeological input to development management, policy and planning, manages the Historic Environment Record, gives public lectures and supports local heritage groups.

He studied Ancient History and Archaeology at Birmingham University and is the Excavation Director of The Burnswark Project, he has carried out excavations at Skaill, Orkney and took part in an European study tour on Migration Period art including excavations and surveys at Visby, Gotland.

The meeting will be held at 7.30pm on Thursday 10th November 2022 at the Market Hall in Boroughgate, Appleby, CA16 6XB.

Admission is free to members of the Appleby Archaeology Group or £5 for non-members, everyone is welcome.