Detectorist Uncovers Second Bronze Age Hoard Miles From Landmark Peebles Find

A metal detectorist has spoken of his astonishment after unearthing a second hoard of Bronze Age artefacts in the Scottish Borders, close to the site of a previous discovery that has already been heralded as one of the most significant of its kind in Scotland.

Mariusz Stepien, who in 2020 found the celebrated Peebles Hoard, made his latest find in 2022 at a location roughly seven miles from the original site. The new collection of roughly 3,000-year-old objects has been named the Blyth Hoard and dates from the Late Bronze Age, a period spanning approximately 1150BC to 850BC.

The Blyth Hoard contains two bronze axe-heads as well as clay moulds that archaeologists believe may have been used to produce some of the distinctive bronze fittings found in the Peebles Hoard. The presence of such mould material is considered highly unusual, because objects of this type rarely survive in the archaeological record.

The latest discovery also features a complete copper ingot, which experts say is the first example of its kind to be recovered in Scotland. Alongside the portable artefacts, excavation work by archaeologists uncovered an ancient stone cairn at the site, adding a further layer of archaeological interest to the find.

The Blyth Hoard has been transferred to the National Museums Collection Centre in Edinburgh, where it will undergo conservation and detailed analysis. Specialists hope that scientific examination of the ingot may help pinpoint where the metals used to make bronze objects in both hoards originally came from, potentially tracing ancient trade or exchange networks.

Dr Matthew Knight, curator of prehistory and Bronze Age collections at National Museums Scotland, described the discovery as a classic example of an archaeological find whose importance only becomes clear on closer inspection. He said the assemblage initially appears unremarkable but is in fact remarkable and capable of telling several stories.

Dr Knight emphasised how rare it is for mould materials to survive at all, describing the Blyth Hoard as a special find in its own right. He added that its proximity and apparent relationship to the Peebles Hoard made the discovery even more extraordinary.

The Peebles Hoard, found by Mr Stepien in 2020, was saved for the nation in 2024. It includes a complete horse harness and came to light after the detectorist alerted authorities to the presence of Bronze Age material in the area.

Subsequent archaeological excavation of the Peebles site revealed a sword still inside its scabbard along with decorated straps, buckles, rings, ornaments and chariot wheel axle caps. Together these objects have provided a rare insight into the equipment, craftsmanship and status symbols of communities living in Scotland during the Late Bronze Age.

Mr Stepien said he had been excited when he first uncovered the Blyth Hoard, recognising that he had found more Bronze Age material in an area he already knew to be archaeologically significant. At the time, he said, he had no sense of how important the discovery might eventually prove to be.

Reflecting on the connection between his two finds, he said it was quite extraordinary to think that discoveries made so close to one another could be linked. He added that he was looking forward to seeing what further research might reveal about both hoards and about the people who created and used them.

The two discoveries, separated by just a few miles and a couple of years, have raised the possibility that the same Bronze Age community or network of communities was active across the landscape. The clay moulds found in the Blyth Hoard are of particular interest because they hint at local metalworking and may help explain the origins of unusual fittings recovered from the Peebles site.

Under Scots law, archaeological objects found in Scotland must be reported to the Treasure Trove Unit, which is based at National Museums Scotland. The unit records and assesses each find before significant items can be claimed on behalf of the Crown by the King's and Lord Treasurer's Remembrancer.

Finds of national importance may then be allocated to museums through the Treasure Trove system, ensuring they are preserved and made available for public benefit. The process means that both the Peebles Hoard and the Blyth Hoard are being handled within a established legal framework designed to protect Scotland's archaeological heritage.

The Blyth Hoard now joins the Peebles Hoard in the national collection, where conservators will work to stabilise the objects and analysts will study their composition. Researchers are expected to examine the copper ingot closely, since its chemical signature could indicate the geological source of the metal and shed light on how raw materials moved around Bronze Age Britain and beyond.

For Mr Stepien, the two discoveries represent an unusual double contribution to Scottish archaeology. His finds have not only added new objects to the national record but have also opened up questions about links between neighbouring sites, the organisation of Bronze Age metalworking and the ways in which valuable objects were deposited in the landscape.

Further study of the Blyth Hoard and its relationship to the Peebles Hoard is expected in the coming months, with experts anticipating that the analysis will deepen understanding of Late Bronze Age life in the Scottish Borders.