DUMFRIES AND GALLOWAY, SCOTLAND—The Guardian reports that the more than 100 objects in the Galloway Hoard, discovered in western Scotland in 2014, have been cleaned and conserved. Removal of dirt from an Anglo-Saxon silver pectoral cross revealed its gold leaf decorations and the symbols of the authors of the four Christian gospels. The quality and style of the workmanship, according to Martin Goldberg of National Museums Scotland, suggests the cross was owned by an aristocratic cleric or even a king. Its spiral silver chain has also survived. A gold bird-shaped pin, a silver gilt vessel, and traces of the textile in which the objects had been wrapped in the ninth century were also recovered, Goldberg said. “At the start of the tenth century, new kingdoms were emerging in response to Viking invasions,” he explained. “Alfred the Great’s dynasty was laying the foundations of medieval England, and Alba, the kingdom that became medieval Scotland, is first mentioned in historical sources.” The researchers are still trying to determine why the hoard was buried. To read about a Viking hoard unearthed in southwest Scotland, go to "Viking Treasure Trove."
