A bronze age hoard found by a metal detectorist in the Scottish Borders in 2020 has been acquired by National Museums Scotland.

The “one-of-a-kind” discovery comprises more than 500 unusual bronze and organic pieces and components that had lain undisturbed for 3,000 years.

Some of the unique artefacts have no archaeological parallel anywhere in western Europe, which the national museum believes could transform our understanding of life in Bronze Age Scotland.

“The Peebles Hoard is exceptional, an utterly unique discovery that rewrites our understanding of both bronze age communities in Scotland and our prehistoric international connections,” said Matthew Knight, the senior curator of prehistory at National Museums Scotland.

After the hoard was discovered by detectorist Mariusz Stępień, National Museums Scotland and the Treasure Trove Unit coordinated the retrieval of the hoard, which involved removing it from the ground in a single block to be scanned at the University of Southampton’s µ-VIS X-ray Imaging Centre.

This captured details of the internal structure and relationships between materials in their original context, enabling the team to continue excavation and analysis under laboratory conditions at the National Museums Collection Centre in Edinburgh.

The CT scanning also revealed that some of these objects were produced using “lost-wax casting”, a rare technique in Bronze Age Britain. This represents some of the earliest evidence of its use in Scotland.

“Thanks to the diligence of the finder, expertise of colleagues at the Treasure Trove Unit and National Museums Scotland, and the generosity of the team at the µ-VIS X-ray Imaging Centre, University of Southampton, we have made significant progress,” Knight said.

“However, more funding is critical to continue our conservation and research, to preserve the hoard for future generations and uncover the stories of Scotland’s ancient past.”

National Museums Scotland has launched a fundraising campaign to support the costs of conserving the hoard, especially the found fragments of fragile organic material.

Some of the larger and more recognisable hoard objects include a sword still in its wooden scabbard and two rattle pendants, the first ever found in Scotland.

The pendants were created from interlinked bronze rings and pendant plates that would have hung from a horse or wooden vehicle and rattled as they moved. They are more commonly found in Denmark, northern Germany and northern Poland.

An array of small bronze buttons looped onto cords and the remains of decorate leather and wood straps embedded with minute bronze pins, studs and bosses were also recovered, but the purpose of these remains is yet unknown.

The find has highlighted the importance of Scotland’s Treasure Trove system for reporting treasure and archaeological finds. A recent review of the system found that it was struggling to keep pace with the growing backlog of finds.

The review also highlighted that the museum funding crisis in Scotland has led to shrinking funds for acquisitions, reduced staff resources and diminishing archaeological expertise in the sector.