Find Spot record MHG56877 - Norse copper alloy mount - Ardersier area
Summary
Location
| Grid reference | Centred NH 7900 5500 (93m by 94m) |
|---|---|
| Map sheet | NH75NE |
| Operational Area | INVERNESS NAIRN BADENOCH AND STRATHSPEY |
| Civil Parish | ARDERSIER |
| Geographical Area | INVERNESS |
Map
Type and Period (1)
Full Description
A Norse copper alloy mount found through metal detector use in the Ardersier area, exact findspot unknown.
It is now in the collections of Inverness Museum and Art Gallery. <1>
It was photographed in 2013 by members of the ARCH Ardersier Local Heritage Project. It is decorated with an interlaced animal with an almond-shaped eye in a Norse style called ‘Urnes-style’. Brooches and mounts in this style were mass produced in Scandinavia between 1050 and 1150, with moulds found at Lund in Sweden dating 1100-1150. There are few Urnes-style mounts or brooches in Britain. This mount dates centuries after the main Viking raids on Scotland. Was it a chance loss by a traveller using the ferry crossing between Ardersier and Ross-shire, which has a long history? Was it a find from England, brought up with the Norman lords who were pushing into this area around this time? Or does it relate to the rebellions against the Scottish crown in Moray at the time, which were probably supported by the Earls of Orkney? All would provide a context for this find. <2>
Sources/Archives (2)
- <1> SHG25836 Collection/Catalogue: Inverness Museum & Art Gallery. Inverness Museum & Art Gallery Accession registers.
- <2> SHG26677 Collection/Project Archive: Archaeology for Communities in the Highlands (ARCH). 2013-14. Ardersier and Hilton Local Heritage Project. Archaeology for Communities in the Highlands (ARCH). Yes. Digital.
Finds (0)
Protected Status/Designation
- None recorded
Related Monuments/Buildings (0)
Related Events/Activities (0)
Record last edited
Nov 5 2014 12:31PM
