Posted on 10/25/2022 4:16:57 PM PDT by LibWhacker
Scottish museum acquires 8th c. gold sword pommel An exceptionally rare gold sword pommel that is one of the only ones of its kind ever found in Scotland has been acquired by National Museums Scotland. It was made around 700 A.D. out of solid gold and is decorated with intricate gold filigree, geometric patterns and stylized zoomorphic designs. Garnets are set in the goldwork. Goldwork of any quality from this period is rare in the UK; this object is so rich and so skillfully crafted that it is a unique example on the Scottish archaeological record.
The pommel (the widened fitting atop a sword’s grip) was discovered by a metal detector hobbyist near Blair Drummond in Stirlingshire, Scotland, in late 2019. He reported the find to the Treasure Trove unit but the usual process of determining treasure was disrupted by the pandemic, so only now has the artifact been officially claimed for the Crown and allocated to National Museums Scotland.
“Early medieval Scotland is a really interesting period,” [Dr Alice Blackwell, Senior Curator of Medieval Archaeology and History at National Museums Scotland,] said. “You have a number of culturally distinct kingdoms and the pommel’s design has taken from the different cultures and melded them together “
That melding of different cultural styles is known as “insular art” style, which was made famous by illuminated manuscripts such as the Lindisfarne Gospels.
Dr Blackwood said this fusion of styles had made it hard to determine where exactly it was made and whom it may have belonged to.
However, she said it potentially could have belonged to royalty due to the higher standard of goldwork the pommel had compared with other goldware found in this period.
What's wrong w/ this picture?
No “finders keepers” rule? Sad.
Socialism at work
That gov’t is thievery? That’s what I get out of the story. If I found it, there is no way I’d notify the biggest thieves in town about it.
Nothing.
I imagine there are pretty hefty penalties for not notifying the proper authorities.
Proper Authority: “Mr LibWhacker, that looks like some mighty fine gold you have there. Now how did a man of your means accumulate such a bit of gold?”
Mr LibWhacker: “Up yours government man, none of your business.”
PA: “Well now, we were speaking with Shaun O’Connor at the Bull and Boar and he tells it that you let slip that you’d dug up some ancient gold finery. But nevermind Mr LibWhacker, I’ll be taking you and your gold to the Yard for further investigation.”
I believe the government compensates the finder for the items found. Maybe not as much as an auction would but items like this are utterly priceless one-of-a-kind artifacts that would be a tragedy for them to be hidden away in some billionaire’s private mansion in South America or something like that.
A king is a giver of rings.
Mr oldvirginian
Don’t you pay taxes on the product when you pan for gold anywhere in the US or when you find a barrel of oil on your own property?
I don’t know because I have never found oil or gold. I left that up to my employer.
Sincerely,
353FMG
Never panned for gold or found oil anywhere except where I spilled it changing oil. I understand governments having interest in antiquities found inside the country. I merely meant to point out that governments have laws concerning found objects and the penalties can be stiff.
Agree.
My understanding is that finds like this if reported to the government, are independently assessed and assigned a value which the government pays to the finder.
In the 8th century what is now Scotland was a battleground for 4 nations ie 4 ethnicities
1. The Picts in the north east
2. The Scotti, an Irish people who had come over in the previous centuries to tye north west
3. The Britons, related to the Welsh, in Ault Clythe in the south west.
4. The Anglo Saxons in the south east.
Governments always want to put their grubby hands on that which belongs to their citizens. That is the definition of government ever since the first societies were created.
I’d melt it down.....................
I used to work with a guy that did that on weekends back in the late 70’s early 80’s.
Sometimes he’d make $300 on a weekend, sometimes nada.
AFAIK, he never reported a thing..................
Looks like the pommel was pummeled.................
And not a decent cuisine among the lot of them!..................
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