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MHG8921 - Bronze Age hoard - Heights of Brae

Summary

A late Bronze Age gold hoard comprising a minimum of three cup-ended ornaments, five penannular armlets with expanded terminals and a corrugated band, found at the Heights of Brae between 1965 and 1979.

Type and Period (1)

Protected Status

Full Description

A late Bronze Age gold hoard comprising a minimum of three cup-ended ornaments, five penannular armlets with expanded terminals and a corrugated band, found at the Heights of Brae between 1965 and 1979.

In August 1979 two late Bronze Age ornaments, a cup-ended ornament (no 3) and an armlet (no 8), were brought to the National Museum of Antiquities. These objects, together with two others since lost, had been found some 12 years earlier on the informant’s parents-in-law's croft at Heights of Brae in the course of ploughing. They had originally been regarded as horse brasses and there was a suggestion that other objects of similar appearance had been ploughed up but discarded on the field. On the basis of this information, the Museum decided that the site should be examined. The field where the gold objects had been discovered has an area of 1.39 hectares and is located at a height of c 228m OD. It lies on the boundary between moorland and cultivated land and, although the field had been ploughed some five times in the preceding decade, it was rough pasture at the time of the investigation. There were no obvious artificial features in the field apart from a small knoll at the N edge where the farmer had ploughed up some blackened stones, probably the remains of a small croft. The lack of obvious features prompted two surveys: a contour survey encompassing some 1100 sq m (c 8% of the area of the field) around the supposed find spot of the gold objects and a metal detector survey covering about one third of the field. The latter was responsible for the recovery of a further seven gold objects which would otherwise have been impossible to locate. The metal detector survey was undertaken with a 'C-scope' machine in 2 m strips and the operator swept a metre stretch with every step. This work produced a strong reading on the terrace and a 2m square was opened around this anomaly. No soil or rock-cut features associated with the objects could be determined. It seemed probable that these seven objects as well as the four found by the farmer (two of which are now lost) were not in situ at the time of their discovery. Nevertheless, it appears equally likely that they all form one hoard and that recent ploughing had separated them. The pieces were acquired by the National Museum of Antiquities of Scotland as Treasure Trove. There can be little doubt that the hoard dates to the 8th or 7th centuries BC and contains objects with well known parallels in Ireland and to a lesser extent elsewhere in Scotland. Exact location not available to public. <1>

This findspot was noted during ARCH's 2010-2012 Heritage Along the Kyle Line project. The objects were described as the largest surviving late Bronze Age gold hoard from Scotland, containing 5 penannular armrings, 3 cup-ended ornaments, and a corrugated band. <2>

This hoard was catalogued and photographed as part of the North Kessock & District Local History Society and Archaeology for Communities in the Highlands (ARCH) collaborative 'Feats of Clay' Project, which was focused on Bronze Age metalworking around the Moray Firth. It was assigned a Late Bronze Age date. <4>

Sources/Archives (5)

Map

Location

Grid reference	Centred NH 5099 6100 (4m by 4m) (2 map features)
Map sheet	NH56SW
Geographical Area	ROSS AND CROMARTY
Civil Parish	DINGWALL

Finds (3)

Related Monuments/Buildings (0)

Related Investigations/Events (1)

External Links (5)