Gold collar found at Auchentaggart, Dumfriesshire

This gold collar, also called a lunula, was found at Auchentaggart in Dumfriesshire. It is a high status ornament, either made in Ireland or imported from there, sometime between 2300 and 2000 BC.

The collar is made of a single crescentic sheet of gold with expanded ends. The edges have been decorated with a punch. It was broken in antiquity, with the holes for an attempted repair visible. The repair on the left hand horn, however, is modern.

The shape of these collars gave such objects their traditional name - a lunula, or little moon. Gold collars were originally made in Ireland, but were imported and copied throughout Britain, where they certainly functioned as symbols of power.

Record details

To search on related items, click any linked text below.

Online ID:	000-100-036-462-C
Image Rights Holder:	National Museums Scotland
Project:	0098: National Museums Scotland Project description \| View all records in project
Ref:	National Museums Scotland X.FE 3
Date:	2300 - 2000 BC
Material:	Gold; expanded ends; ornamented with cross panelling, including horizontal lines, punched dots, transverse nicks and zigzag dentition
Dimensions:
What:	Lunula / collar
Subject:
Who:
Where:	Scotland, Dumfriesshire, Auchentaggart
Event:
Description:	Gold lunula or collar with expanded ends, found at Auchentaggart, Dumfriesshire: probably Irish, Bronze Age
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 184-6, 190, 261 Find in NLS: Title, Author, Title+Author or British Library: Title, Author, Title+Author
Translations:
Related Records:

< 1 of 1 > Back