Galloway Hoard to go on display in Australia at start of international tour

A hoard of “exceptional” Viking-age objects discovered by a metal detectorist in Dumfries and Galloway in 2014 will go on display in Australia next year in the first stop of an international tour.

Buried in about 900CE, the Galloway Hoard comprises more than 5kg of silver, gold and other materials from the period, and includes a rare Anglo-Saxon cross, bullion, jewellery and traces of textiles.

Many of the items are types that had never been seen before in Britain and Ireland, with some having travelled thousands of miles to reach Scotland.

David Gaimster, chief executive of the South Australian Museum in Adelaide where the pieces will go on show, said bringing it “halfway across the globe” for Australian audiences to see is something its original owners “could scarcely have imagined”.

He said: “The Galloway Hoard is a rich collection in every sense, from rare and unique examples of gold and silverwork that shows the artistry of the period to items of hacked bullion that show the intensity of trade and exchange.

“Taken together, this hoard challenges popular understandings of this period in world history.

“Indeed, the hoard reveals the extensive networks of trade and exchange that stretched from Scandinavia and the Atlantic across to central Asia and the Silk Routes.

“We are delighted to partner with National Museums Scotland to bring the Galloway Hoard halfway across the globe for Australian audiences to experience up close – a turn of events the hoard’s original owners could scarcely have imagined.”

The exhibition, entitled Treasures Of The Viking Age: The Galloway Hoard, shows how the items were buried in four distinct parcels.

We’re delighted the exhibition can now be seen by audiences outside the UK, a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to experience these exceptional objects in person

The top layer was a parcel of silver bullion and a rare Anglo-Saxon cross.

This was separated from a lower layer of three parts: firstly another parcel of silver bullion wrapped in leather and twice as big as the one above it.

Secondly there was a cluster of four elaborately decorated silver “ribbon” arm-rings bound together around a small wooden box containing three items of gold.

Thirdly there was a lidded, silver gilt vessel wrapped in layers of textile and packed with carefully wrapped objects that experts said appear to have been curated like relics or heirlooms.

These include beads, pendants, brooches, bracelets, relics and other curios, often strung or wrapped with silk.

Ongoing research and conservation by a team of experts led by National Museums Scotland (NMS), which acquired the hoard in 2017, has revealed decorations, inscriptions, and other details on the objects hidden for more than 1,000 years.

Martin Goldberg, principal curator of medieval archaeology and history at NMS, said: “The Galloway Hoard has repeatedly drawn international attention since its discovery and acquisition by National Museums Scotland.

“But this hoard was in many respects a journey into the unknown, and the exhibition presents all the amazing discoveries we have made through our research.

“We’re delighted the exhibition can now be seen by audiences outside the UK, a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to experience these exceptional objects in person.”

Some items are too fragile to travel long distances, particularly those which still have traces of textiles that have survived for more than 1,000 years.

The exhibition will instead use audio visual and 3D reconstructions to enable visitors to experience these objects, and learn more about the research being carried out on them.

It will be on display in Adelaide from February 8 next year until July 27, with further venues for the international tour announced in due course.

An announcement is also expected on plans for the hoard’s future display following its tour, including in Kirkcudbright, near where it was discovered.