From Migdale, Sutherland

Fragments of bronze headdress

These sheet bronze ornaments were found at Migdale in Sutherland, in a hoard containing an axehead and personal ornaments. The strip and cones may have been part of a headdress, complimented by the basket-shaped hair ornament.

The strip and cones originally had an organic core. They may have formed part of an elaborate woman's headdress of central-north European style. Tubular sheet bronze beads with wooden cores from the hoard were also part of this.

The Migdale hoard demonstrates that the elite in north-east Scotland had important contacts across the North Sea between 2250 and 1950 BC.

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Online ID:	000-100-034-744-C
Image Rights Holder:	National Museums Scotland
Project:	0098: National Museums Scotland Project description \| View all records in project
Ref:	National Museums Scotland X.DQ 359
Date:	Between 2250 and 1950 BC
Material:	Sheet bronze; bent with rounded end so that the two faces lie parallel; upper surface decorated by a row of transversely set lenticular bosses, outlined and the background filled with strokes, a row of dots along each border Sheet bronze; narrow hook end; flat broken plate Sheet bronze; one straight long edge remaining; longer axis very slightly curved; broken Sheet bronze; part of edge with perforation Sheet bronze; part of one perforation remaining Sheet bronze; remains of two perforations Sheet bronze; two small perforations Sheet bronze; with part of perforation
Dimensions:	0.30" H x 0.90" D 0.45" H x 1.00" D 0.50" H x 0.90" D 0.70" W 0.70" x 0.50" 0.90" across 1.20" max remaining L; hook end 0.55" L 1.65" x 1.00"
What:	Ornament, ear Sheet bronze / cone Sheet bronze / cone Sheet bronze / cone Sheet bronze / cone Sheet bronze / cone Sheet bronze / fragment Sheet bronze / strip
Subject:
Who:
Where:	Scotland, Sutherland, Migdale Scotland, Sutherland, Migdale Scotland, Sutherland, Migdale Scotland, Sutherland, Migdale Scotland, Sutherland, Migdale Scotland, Sutherland, Migdale Scotland, Sutherland, Migdale Scotland, Sutherland, Migdale
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Description:	Strip of sheet bronze, bent with rounded end so that the two faces lie parallel, the upper surface decorated with a row of transversely set lenticular bosses, from Migdale Cone of sheet bronze from Migdale Cone of sheet bronze from Migdale Cone of sheet bronze from Migdale Cone of sheet bronze from Migdale Cone of sheet bronze from Migdale Ear ornament of sheet bronze from Migdale Broken piece of sheet bronze from Migdale
References:	Clarke, D.V., Cowie, T.G., & Foxon, Andrew (eds). Symbols of power at the time of Stonehenge. Edinburgh: National Museums of Antiquities of Scotland, 1985, pp 111, 149, 187, 302-3.
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