The Heights of Brae hoard is a group of at least eleven Bronze Age gold ornaments, currently held in the National Museum of Scotland.[1][2] Gold bracelets, 'cup-ended ornaments' and a corrugated gold band were discovered through ploughing, and later excavation, in a field in the Highland region in Scotland.[1] The objects date to the Late Bronze Age in Britain, around 950-750 BC,[2][3] and represent the largest hoard of Bronze Age gold objects from Scotland.[1]
Discovery
editIn the 1960s, several gold objects were ploughed up in a field at the Heights of Brae, near Dingwall, Highland.[1] Two of these were reported to the National Museum of Antiquities of Scotland in 1979 and the area was excavated by D.V. Clarke and M.M.B. Kemp.[1] At least two objects are known to have been lost prior to excavation, as they were considered to be horse brasses and were subsequently discard, though nine objects still survive.[1][3] Excavation revealed no obvious feature from which the hoard was recovered and the excavators concluded that the objects probably originally comprised a hoard of at least eleven objects that was scattered by the plough.[1][3] The nine surviving objects were reported to the Treasure Trove Unit in Scotland and acquired by the National Museum of Scotland.[1]
The objects
editThe objects were all produced from gold and the surviving objects include five penannular armrings or bracelets, three 'cup-ended ornaments' or 'dress fasteners', and a corrugated gold band.[2] These objects have been interpreted as ornaments, though the exact function of the cup-ended ornaments (sometimes called 'dress fasteners') is unclear.[1] Several of the objects are unfinished, suggesting they may have been produced locally, or by a travelling metalworker.[1][3] Similar examples of cup-ended ornaments and bracelets are well-known in Scotland and share parallels in Ireland.[4][5]
Modern history
editThe objects are currently on display in the Early People gallery at the National Museum of Scotland on Chambers Street, Edinburgh.[2]
Reference section
edit- ^ a b c d e f g h i j Clarke, D.V.; Kemp, M.M.B. (1984). "A hoard of late Bronze Age gold objects from Heights of Brae, Ross and Cromarty district, Highland Region" (PDF). Proceedings of the Society of Antiquaries of Scotland. 114: 189–198.
- ^ a b c d "National Museums of Scotland - Gold jewellery found at Heights of Brae, near Dingwall". nms.scran.ac.uk. Retrieved 21 July 2021.
- ^ a b c d "MHG8921 - Bronze Age hoard - Heights of Brae - Highland Historic Environment Record". her.highland.gov.uk. Retrieved 21 July 2021.
- ^ "Gold object of the week No. 9: Late Bronze Age cup-ended ornament from Skye". National Museums Scotland. Retrieved 21 July 2021.
- ^ Eogan, G. (1994). The Accomplished Art. Gold and gold-working in Britain and Ireland during the Bronze Age. Oxford: Oxbow Books. pp. 145–146, 150–151.