Scotland’s national museums have launched a bid to raise the £460,000 needed to secure a hoard of Iron Age gold found in a Stirlingshire field by a metal-detecting enthusiast.
David Booth, 36, a safari park keeper, had owned his metal detector for only five days when he discovered four 2000-year-old gold neck bands, or torcs, last year.
Dating from between the 1st and 3rd century BC, the bands represent the most important hoard of Iron Age gold found in Scotland to date.
National Museums Scotland (NMS) has until the end of April next year to raise the money so it can receive the torcs.
The Queen’s and Lord Treasurer’s Remembrancer, Catherine Dyer, who governs the management of treasure trove finds, yesterday said she was “minded” to allocate “Scotland’s most outstanding treasure trove find” to NMS, if it meets the ex-gratia award of £462,000 to Mr Booth.
The torcs are currently owned by the Crown – under Scots law, it can claim any archaeological objects found in Scotland.
Finders have no ownership rights and must report any objects to a treasure trove unit.
The collection consists of two ribbon torcs (a local style of jewellery made from a twisted ribbon of gold), half an ornate torc of southern French origin, and a braided gold wire torc which shows strong influences of Mediterranean craftsmanship.
Last night Mr Booth, who works at Blair Drummond Safari Park, near Stirling, said he was “over the moon” about the valuation, but that it would not change him or his family’s life too much. He will stay at his post, looking after animals in the park, but the money will come in useful.
“I had no idea of the valuation till this morning. It’s not a bad return on the detector and earphones, which were £250,” he said.
“It will make life a lot easier, we are planning to pay off our debts, and have a house without a mortgage. When you go out with a detector you don’t expect to find something like that.
“I had a niggling doubt when I found them that they may not be that important, that they may even be children’s costume jewellery or something, so I was delighted to find how important they are.”
Experts at the NMS are keen to secure the treasure, which they believe is of international and national importance. The museums are already exploring different avenues to raise the considerable sums involved.
If the NMS cannot raise the money by the deadline, the Crown will reconsider its options and the payment to Mr Booth may be postponed.
Dr Gordon Rintoul, director of National Museums Scotland, said: “We are delighted that we will now have the opportunity to acquire [the torcs] for preservation and display.
“In the context of the current difficult economic climate, we will be exploring a range of sources of funding to secure what is a substantial sum to ensure these items remain available for future generations within the national collections.”
Ms Dyer said: “I am pleased to announce that if National Museums Scotland in Edinburgh meets the ex-gratia award which would then be payable to the finder then I am minded to accept the recommendation of the Scottish Archaeological Finds Allocation Panel (SAFAP), that these wonderful items be allocated to NMS.
“This is a very significant find, the most important hoard of Iron Age gold ever found in Scotland.
“That these stunning artefacts have been unearthed in such excellent condition after being buried for 2000 years is simply amazing.”
When the Remembrancer claims an object for the Crown, they then decide on allocation to a museum, and payment of an ex-gratia award to the finder.
This decision is taken after considering advice from SAFAP.
Professor Ian Ralston, chair of SAFAP, said: “The panel is grateful to the finder for reporting these highly important finds in good time and for the further assistance from the finder during fieldwork by the National Museum at the site of the discovery.
“This has allowed much greater understanding of the archaeological context of these four exceptional items.”
Author: Phil Miller | Source: Herald Scotland [October 16, 2010]