Analysis reveals ‘distant origins’ of 1,000-year-old Viking artifact found in Scotland

In 2014, metal detectorists in the Scottish countryside unearthed an extraordinary trove of Viking-era treasures, which came to be known as the Galloway Hoard.

Dozens of centuries-old artifacts were uncovered, but one in particular stood out.

It was an ornate, silver vessel with strange markings.

Now — a decade later — researchers have discovered the origins of the container, tracing it back to a long-lost empire thousands of miles away, according to a Sept. 1 news release from the National Museums of Scotland.

“It is incredible to imagine how the vessel made its journey halfway round the known world…” Martin Goldberg, a museum curator, said in the release.

Tracing the vessel’s journey

Using a combination of techniques, researchers were able to track down the far-flung origins of the vessel, which, along with the rest of the hoard, was buried around 900 A.D.

X-ray scans and laser cleaning revealed small details, including depictions of exotic creatures, like tigers and leopards. Images of fire altars and crowns were also found on the vessel.

These “remarkable” details are not associated with Europe. Instead they are linked to Zoroastrianism, once the official religion of the Sasanian Empire, which existed in modern-day Iran.

The empire was the “last Iranian empire before the early Muslim conquests of the 7th–8th centuries A.D.,” according to the release.

Scientific analyses validated researchers’ hypothesis, confirming the vessel came from Iran. In fact, an isotope analysis of the silver allowed them to pinpoint its exact origin: a mine known as Nakhlak in central Iran.

This means that the vessel, or at least its materials, traveled some 4,000 miles to Scotland during the early middle ages.

“It’s fantastic to have scientific confirmation for the distant origins of this remarkable object,” Jane Kershaw, a Viking silver expert from the University of Oxford, said in the release.

The vessel — the only object in the hoard not of European origin — will be displayed at the British Museum as part of its Silk Roads exhibition from September to February.

More on the Galloway Hoard

The hoard, which was excavated in September 2014, “contains the richest collection of rare and unique Viking-age objects ever found in Britain or Ireland,” according to the release.

It is composed of over 100 artifacts, including an arm ring, a Christian cross and a crystal jar inscribed with the words “Bishop Hyguald had me made.”

It’s not clear who buried the trove of treasures and for what purpose, but researchers believe it was likely amassed over multiple centuries.

“Along with the West Asian origin of the vessel, the many unusual objects in the Galloway Hoard take us well beyond the usual stereotype of Viking raiders,” according to the release. “This Hoard tells us a richer story about complex interactions with neighbors and newcomers, connections with previous generations and the rest of the known world.”

The hoard is owned by the National Museums Scotland and is still undergoing conservation.

This story was originally published September 5, 2024 at 1:38 PM with the headline "Analysis reveals ‘distant origins’ of 1,000-year-old Viking artifact found in Scotland."