Bronze rings, part of a belt or harness, found at Balmashannar, Angus

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These bronze rings, perhaps from a person's belt or a horse harness, are part of a late Bronze Age hoard of jewellery and other items, buried in a pot and ploughed up at Balmashannar in Angus. Such rings were a widespread European fashion in this period.

The plain bronze rings were made of oval or circular-sectioned rods. Three large and seven small plain rings, made with rods of different shaped sections, were found in the hoard. One of the rings is broken.

The Balmashanner hoard demonstrates how extensive and complex were the contacts between Scotland and the outside world during the early first millennium BC. The contents come from Ireland, northern Europe, north-west Europe and the eastern Alps.

Record details

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• Online ID: 000-100-034-563-C
• Image Rights Holder: National Museums Scotland
• Project: National Museums Scotland
  Project description   View all records in project
• Ref: National Museums Scotland  X.DQ 148
• Date: Between 950 and 750 BC
  
• Material: Bronze; plain
  Bronze; plain
  Bronze; plain
  Bronze; plain
  Ring
  Ring
  Ring
  Ring
  
• Dimensions: 0.75" - 3.50" D
  0.75" - 3.50" D
  0.75" - 3.50" D
  0.75" - 3.50" D
  
• What: Ring
  Ring
  Ring
  Ring
  
• Subject:
• Who:
• Where: Scotland, Angus, Balmashanner
  Scotland, Angus, Balmashanner
  Scotland, Angus, Balmashanner
  Scotland, Angus, Balmashanner
  
• Event:
• Description: Plain bronze ring from Balmashanner
  Plain bronze ring from Balmashanner
  Plain bronze ring from Balmashanner
  Plain bronze ring from Balmashanner
  
• References:
  • Coles, John M. In: Proceedings of the Society of Antiquaries of Scotland, 93 (1959-1960), pp 16-134. Scottish late Bronze Age metalwork: typology, distributions and chronology. 
• Translations:
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