Spectacular Viking Treasures Unearthed On Church Land In Scotland

MessageToEagle.com – A large collection of Viking treasures described as the largest found in modern times has been unearthed on land owned by the Church of Scotland.

This fascinating and historically significant find was made by Derek McLennan, 47, a metal-detecting enthusiast was searching the area in Dumfries and Galloway for the last year.

The largest found contains “more than one hundred artefacts, many of which are unique. They are now in the care of the Treasure Trove Unit and considered to be of international importance.

Derek, who’s 47, says he was rendered speechless when he made the discovery. He became so emotional when he phoned his partner, Sharon, to tell her the news that she thought he had been in a car crash.

Derek is no stranger to finding treasure. He was part of a group which discovered more than 300 medieval silver coins shortly before Christmas last year,” according to The Church of Scotland website.

He says his latest discovery has enthused archaeologists, who believe it has the potential to reveal many new insights into the Vikings  and other cultures of the time.

Among the objects within the hoard is an early Christian cross thought to date from the ninth or tenth centuries. The solid silver cross has enamelled decorations which experts consider to be highly unusual.

“I think they are remarkably similar to the carvings you can see on St Cuthbert’s coffin in Durham Cathedral. For me, the cross opens up the possibility of an intriguing connection with Lindisfarne and Iona,” said Derek, who believes they could represent the four evangelists Matthew, Mark, Luke and John.

“In 839, a large Norse fleet invaded via the River Tay and River Earn, both of which were highly navigable, and reached into the heart of the Pictish kingdom of Fortriu. They defeated Eogán mac Óengusa, king of the Picts, his brother Bran and the king of the Scots of Dál Riata, Áed mac Boanta, along with many members of the Pictish aristocracy in battle.

The sophisticated kingdom that had been built fell apart, as did the Pictish leadership, which had been stable for more than a hundred years since the time of Óengus mac Fergusa (The accession of Cináed mac Ailpín as king of both Picts and Scots can be attributed to the aftermath of this event).

The Vikings expanded their little empire towards Scottish lands and after the death of king Alexander ll of Scotland his son Alexander lll declared war on Norway which is an event known as the Scottish Norwegian war even though it was more of a Scottish war of succession.
The war lasted from 1262-1266 with one major battle, the battle of Largs 1263 and because of Scottish victory the Vikings lost the isles and lacked the money to re-attempt the expedition. This War changed the fate of Scotland…”

Among artifacts, many of which are unique, there are some of Carolingian (west European) and Irish origin. The material comprises many silver ingots, armbands and brooches, as well as several gold objects, according to Scotland’s Treasure Trove Unit.

“This is a very important and significant find and has required the close cooperation of Historic Scotland with Treasure Trove Unit and National Museums Scotland staff to recover the fascinating items it contains.

“The Vikings were well known for having raided these shores in the past, but today we can appreciate what they have left behind, with this wonderful addition to Scotland’s cultural heritage. “It’s clear that these artefacts are of great value in themselves, but their greatest value will be in what they can contribute to our understanding of life in early medieval Scotland, and what they tell us about the interaction between the different peoples in these islands at that time.

“The Dumfries hoard opens a fascinating window on a formative period in the story of Scotland and just goes to show how important our archaeological heritage in Scotland continues to be,” Scotland’s Culture Secretary Fiona Hyslop said.

MessageToEagle.com.