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The Carnoustie Hoard was found during work on two new football pitches near the Angus town (National Museums Scotland/PA)
A “remarkable” Bronze Age hoard discovered on land that was due to be turned into football pitches will go on display next summer after being saved for the nation.
The Carnoustie Hoard – named after the Angus town near where it was unearthed in 2016 – includes a rare spearhead decorated with gold, and a bronze sword in a wooden scabbard.
Dating from around 1120-920 BC, experts said the find hints at the existence of a localised warrior elite in the Angus area more than 3,000 years ago.
The hoard was also “deliberately” buried close to a round Bronze Age structure, which experts say makes it the first weapon hoard in Scotland to be found within a clearly defined settlement.
It will go on display for the first time as part of the Scotland’s First Warriors exhibition, which opens in June at the National Museum of Scotland in Edinburgh.
After hours of painstaking conservation, I can’t wait for visitors to see the hoard for the first time in our new exhibition, Scotland’s First Warriors
Matthew Knight, National Museums Scotland
Matthew Knight, senior curator of prehistory at National Museums Scotland (NMS), said he cannot wait for visitors to see the hoard.
“The Carnoustie Hoard is a remarkable discovery,” he said.
“This is the first time we’ve encountered weapons buried at a settlement where people lived.
“It forces us to reconsider relationships between people and these objects and enriches our picture of life in Bronze Age Scotland.
“On top of that we have the exceptional survival of wood, textiles and animal skin that express how much these objects were valued.
“After hours of painstaking conservation, I can’t wait for visitors to see the hoard for the first time in our new exhibition, Scotland’s First Warriors.”
National Museums Scotland senior curator Dr Matthew Knight described the find as ‘remarkable’ (National Museums Scotland/PA)
The hoard was unearthed in 2016 by Guard Archaeology near Carnoustie, in an area that was to be developed into two football pitches.
It was acquired by NMS in May 2024, along with sherds (pieces) from more than 155 prehistoric pots excavated from the same site.
Experts have commented on the rarity of some of the items in the hoard, and the fact great care and attention appears to have gone into its formation.
The spearhead, with its intricately-decorated, gold-bound socket, is one of only two such examples known from Scotland, with the other having been found at Pyotodykes, just 20km away.
Meanwhile the sword has an “unusual” lead-tin pommel, and is still sheathed in the remains of a wooden scabbard – making it the first Bronze Age sword in a scabbard to be found in Scotland.
The sheathed sword was also found encased in a woven wool garment fastened with a disc-headed pin, while the spearhead blade was wrapped in sheepskin, and the socket in a fine woollen cloth.
Also in Scotland’s First Warriors exhibition will be a number of never-before-seen archaeological discoveries from across Scotland.
Spanning the Neolithic period to the coming of the Romans, the exhibition will present the origins of organised conflict, exploring how people fought, the motivations for fighting, the impact of war on people’s lives, and the long-lasting legacy of prehistoric conflict.
The exhibition, which is free of charge, will run at the National Museum of Scotland from June 27, 2026 until May 17, 2027.
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