Overview

• The hoard will debut in the Scotland’s First Warriors exhibition at the National Museum of Scotland from June 27, 2026 to May 17, 2027, with free admission.
• The assemblage includes a gold-decorated spearhead and a bronze sword preserved in a wooden scabbard, the first such sword found in Scotland.
• Conservation revealed exceptional survival of organics, including wood, woven wool and sheepskin that protected the weapons.
• Archaeologists determined the cache was deliberately buried beside a Bronze Age roundhouse, marking Scotland’s first weapon hoard within a clearly defined settlement.
• Unearthed near Carnoustie in 2016 during construction work and dated to about 1120–920 BC, the find was acquired by National Museums Scotland in May 2024 along with sherds from more than 155 pots.