"The initial cleaning of objects in the Bronze Age Peebles Hoard discovered in Scotland five years ago has revealed a rare silvery surface, not the deep golden or greenish-brown patinas usually seen in ancient bronze. This silver sheen is almost completely unknown in artifacts from Bronze Age Britain, an era when silver itself was not in use. The first bronze object from the hoard was discovered by a metal detectorist in June of 2020,"
"After four years of painstaking excavation and analysis, more than 500 bronze objects dating to 1000-800 B.C., an agglomeration of artifacts so diverse it has no parallel in Europe. It includes some of the earliest examples of bronze objects made using the lost-wax casting technique in Scotland. National Museums Scotland was allocated the hoard in 2024 through the Treasure Trove process and launched a crowdfunding campaign to raise money for its long-term conservation and study."
Initial cleaning of the Peebles Hoard revealed an uncommon silvery sheen on several Bronze Age objects rather than typical golden or greenish-brown patinas. A metal detectorist discovered the first bronze in June 2020 and alerted archaeologists, enabling removal of the entire hoard in a soil block for laboratory micro-excavation and preserving original leather harness straps and a complete wooden scabbard. Four years of excavation and analysis recovered over 500 objects dated to 1000–800 B.C., including some of Scotland's earliest lost-wax cast bronzes. National Museums Scotland received the hoard in 2024 and began conservation after crowdfunding. Conservators documented, cleaned, and stabilized every piece and found a tin-rich alloy at surfaces, indicating deliberate surface enrichment as the source of the silvery color; full conservation is expected to take three years.
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