In the heart of Scotland’s rugged west coast, an archeology student has unearthed a trove of 17th-century artifacts, including an “international coin archive”. Believed to have been hidden after the Glencoe massacre, these coins illustrate one of the most haunting chapters in the nation’s history.
The dark events of this dark chapter in Scottish history took place on the fateful morning of February 13, 1692, at Glencoe. The MacDonald family had previously supported the 1689 attempt to restore Catholic James II of England and Ireland and VII of Scotland to the throne. This loyalty to Catholic monarchs, in contrast to the rise of Protestantism, made them a prime target.
After the first Jacobite uprising, in an attempt to restore King James, government forces deceptively posed as guests in Glencoe. In an act of brutality and treachery, they mercilessly murdered some 80 members of the MacDonald clan, violating the sacred Scottish code of hospitality. Among the victims were patriarch Maclain and his wife. The senseless massacre shocked the nation, igniting a deep and lasting rage.
Now, according to a BBC report, “a cache of 36 coins” related to the horrific event has been discovered beneath a fireplace that once belonged to the Macdonald Clan chief.
Hoard Glencoe hoard and run
The coin collection was found by student archaeologist Lucy Ankers during a Glasgow University dig in August. She identified the hiding place of what had once been a large stone fireplace in the summer house by Maclain of Glencoe. “I don’t think I’ll ever beat the feeling of seeing the coins peeking out of the soil in the pot,” Ankers told The Guardian.
Lucy Ankers, the university scholar who unearthed the Glencoe treasure, is studying the coins in a laboratory at the University of Glasgow. (©Gareth Beale/ University of Glasgow )
A report in The Guardian said that, along with silver and copper coins dating from the 1500s to 1680s, the team of researchers found “European pottery, pottery from England, Germany and the Netherlands.” Lan, a musket and birdshot, flint and gunpowder from a rifle.”
Among the coins are coins from the reigns of “Elizabeth I, James VI and I, Charles I, the Cromwellian Commonwealth and Charles II – as well as France and the Spanish Netherlands and the Catholic States.” Hoang was also found.”
Dr Michael Given, co-director of the University of Glasgow’s archeology project in Glencoe, speculates that whoever hid the coins was killed in the massacre and could not return to retrieve them.
Glimpse into a historic massacre
In January 1692, under the command of Robert Campbell of Glenlyon, some 120 soldiers from the Earl of Argyll’s Regiment marched to Glencoe from Invergarry. Glasgow University archaeologists have speculated that the coins may have been buried two weeks later, on the morning of the massacre, “by survivors who fled to the side of the valley in a blizzard,” where they found “Maclain” in Glencoe’s summer house.
Dr. Michael Given said the coins and other finds provide a “rare glimpse” of the historic massacre. Furthermore, Given said it was “interesting” to suggest that the coins were “no later than the 1680s,” confirming that they were hastily buried, as the massacre began on the morning of the 13th. February 1692. Dr. Given says it was known to some people. of the survivors escaped through a fierce blizzard, so these coins “witnessed a dramatic story.”
Activities of the Scottish elite
While the coins speak of betrayal and religious violence, in a broader context, the discovery of Maclain’s Glencoe summer residence [hunting lodge] allowed researchers to better understand the how the highlands served Scotland’s 17th century social elite. Upland hunting lodges are strategically located in remote, highland areas, where they serve as bases for hunting expeditions. Equipped with basic amenities and staffed, they are central to expedition planning, and provide a place to relax and strategize after a day of hunting, creating a sense of community among hunting enthusiasts.
James Hamilton’s Glencoe Massacre, 1853–1894. (Glasgow Museum / CC-BY-NC-ND 4.0 )
The Glencoe massacre of 1692 was a horrifying testament to political betrayal and violence. Government soldiers, taking advantage of trust and hospitality, brutally massacred dozens of innocent members of the MacDonald family. In the aftermath, Scotland was in shock, tensions rose, and the betrayal caused deep resentment, leaving a gaping wound in the nation’s conscience that would shape the nation’s history and politics. this in the previous two centuries.
Top image: Glencoe’s coin hoard includes European pottery as well as silver and copper coins. Source: ©Gareth Beale/ University of Glasgow
