Exhibition reveals how gold took second place to silver in Scotland during 1st millennium AD
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E-mail Xinhua, October 13, 2018
A new exhibition opened Friday showing how silver, not gold, became the most important precious metal in Scotland over the course of the first millennium AD.
Scotland's Early Silver, created by National Museums Scotland (NMS), will be on display at Duff House in Banff in Aberdeenshire until March 17.
It features spectacular objects dating from AD 75 to AD 1000, and explores the part silver played in the transformation of society in Scotland throughout the first millennium AD.
The exhibition showcases Scotland's earliest silver, arriving with the Roman army, and highlights the lasting impact this new material had on early Medieval Scotland, when Roman silver objects were hacked up, melted down and recycled to make iconic early Medieval treasures like massive silver chains and ornate brooches.
NMS said: "Today gold is more valuable than silver, but in the first millennium AD silver was the most powerful material in Scotland. Scotland's earliest silver arrived with the Roman army and had a lasting impact on local society, quickly becoming associated with prestige and power."
The exhibition includes the Gaulcross hoard on its first full public display. The hoard was excavated in Aberdeenshire in 2013 and 2014 as archaeologists from National Museums Scotland and the University of Aberdeen researched and revisited the site of an earlier find from 1838 and unearthed 80 new pieces of silver.
The Gaulcross hoard dates from the 5th century AD, and has cast new light on how early Roman silver was recycled and repurposed over the centuries.
The exhibition also includes the recently discovered hoard from Dairsie in Fife, which dates to the late 3rd century AD and is the earliest known example of hacksilver from anywhere beyond the Roman frontier.
Corinna Leenen, Duff House collections manager at Historic Environment Scotland (HES), said: "We're particularly excited to be exhibiting the Gaulcross hoard, which was discovered not too far from Duff House and sheds some light on what life was like in the north-east of Scotland over one thousand years ago."
Alanna Davidson from National Museums Scotland said: "We are delighted to tour 'Scotland's Early Silver' to Duff House and to share some outstanding silver items from the national collections."
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