Detectorist Uncovers Second Bronze Age Hoard Miles From Landmark Peebles Find

A metal detectorist has spoken of his astonishment after unearthing a second collection of Bronze Age treasure in the Scottish Borders, just a few miles from where he made a nationally significant discovery several years earlier.

Mariusz Stepien recovered the latest haul, which has been named the Blyth Hoard, in 2022. The find was made roughly seven miles from the spot where he had previously uncovered the Peebles Hoard in 2020, a discovery that was later saved for the nation.

The artefacts have been dated to the Late Bronze Age, a period spanning roughly 1150BC to 850BC, placing them at around 3,000 years old. Among the items recovered are two bronze axe-heads, a complete copper ingot, and clay moulds that experts believe may have been used to cast some of the distinctive bronze fittings found in the earlier Peebles Hoard.

The copper ingot is thought to be the first of its kind to be found in Scotland, lending the discovery additional significance. Archaeologists who carried out an excavation at the site also uncovered an ancient stone cairn, adding a further layer of archaeological interest to the location.

The Blyth Hoard has now been transferred to the National Museums Collection Centre in Edinburgh, where it will undergo conservation work and detailed analysis.

Researchers are particularly hopeful that studying the ingot could help pinpoint the geographic origins of the metals used to produce bronze objects in both hoards. Such analysis could shed light on trade networks and the movement of raw materials across Britain and beyond during the Bronze Age.

Dr Matthew Knight, curator of prehistory and Bronze Age collections at National Museums Scotland, described the find as deceptively important. He said it was the kind of archaeological discovery that initially appeared unremarkable but turned out to be genuinely remarkable, with numerous stories to tell.

He noted that it is extremely rare for mould materials to survive at all, making the Blyth Hoard a special find in its own right. The fact that it was discovered so close to the Peebles Hoard, and appears to share a relationship with it, makes the discovery all the more extraordinary in his view.

The Peebles Hoard, recovered by Stepien in 2020, is regarded as one of the most important Bronze Age assemblages found in Scotland in recent decades. It includes a complete horse harness, and subsequent excavation by archaeologists revealed a sword still inside its scabbard, decorated straps, buckles, rings, ornaments and chariot wheel axle caps.

That collection was saved for the nation in 2024, ensuring it could be preserved and displayed for public benefit rather than entering private hands.

Stepien said he was eager to learn what further research might reveal about both hoards and about the people who created and deposited them. He recalled that when he first found the Blyth Hoard, he was excited simply to have encountered more Bronze Age material in an area he already understood to be archaeologically significant, and had no idea at the time how important the discovery might prove to be.

Reflecting on the connection between his two finds, he said it was quite extraordinary to think that two discoveries made so close to one another could be linked.

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 decisions are made about its future.

Significant discoveries may be claimed on behalf of the Crown by the King's and Lord Treasurer's Remembrancer, and can then be allocated to museums through the Treasure Trove system. This process is designed to ensure that important archaeological material is preserved and made available for public enjoyment and study.

The Blyth Hoard now joins a growing body of evidence about Bronze Age activity in the Scottish Borders, a region that has yielded a number of notable prehistoric finds in recent years.

The proximity of the two hoards, combined with the presence of moulds that may link directly to objects in the Peebles collection, raises the possibility that the same community, or at least the same craft tradition, was responsible for both deposits.

Archaeologists will be keen to establish whether the moulds match the fittings from the Peebles Hoard precisely, which would strengthen the case for a direct connection between the two sites. If confirmed, that link could offer rare insight into how bronze objects were produced and circulated in the region three millennia ago.

The ongoing analysis in Edinburgh is expected to take some time, with results likely to inform future research into Bronze Age metalworking, ritual deposition and long-distance exchange. For now, the Blyth Hoard stands as another striking reminder of the archaeological richness of the Scottish Borders and the role that responsible metal detecting can play in bringing the distant past to light.