A series of highly valuable antiques were revealed in a field near the village of Peebles (Scotland, UK), considered a national treasure, found thanks to a metal detector.
Mr. Mariusz Stepien, the person credited with finding the treasure, said he was an amateur “treasure hunter”, trying his luck in a field with a metal detector. When the machine gave a clear signal, he tried digging it up and found a bronze object. Even though I looked at the metal detector, it continued to sound an alarm. The man and his friends decided to report to the local archaeological agency and did not expect that what they found was a large treasure.
Mr. Stepien in the tent that he and his friends built to guard the treasure, while waiting for the archaeological team to take over – photo provided by character
Underneath the burial pit were many belts, buckles, rings, ornaments, beautifully sculpted chariot wheel hubcaps, an exquisite pendant, and more specifically, a sword still in its scabbard. The land has preserved its artifacts so well that archaeologists have recovered parts of the leather straps connecting the items. The dating results were surprising: they were 3,000 years old, belonging to the Bronze Age here.
Some of the artifacts unearthed – photo: Scottish Antiquities Treasury
According to Dr. Emily Freeman, head of the Scottish Antiquities Authority, the unit taking over the site, this is a great opportunity for her team to recover extremely rare bronze artifacts in the area, as well as research rare organic materials. Because with such an age, it is extremely rare for leather straps or organic materials clinging to antiques to be preserved in such good condition by the soil.
Photo: Treasury of Scottish antiquities
According to archaeologists, the above treasure is not only materially significant but also has great historical value, truly a national treasure. Unearthing Bronze Age artifacts is very rare in Scotland.
Because the artifacts were only discovered in June 2020, the research has only just begun. Archaeologists are not sure why the artifacts were buried, nor do they know whether there are remains of the treasure owner nearby or not. Excavation work and analysis of artifacts is still ongoing.
