Summary

Hair ornament of gold, semi-tubular with a tang for attachment, found at Orbliston Junction, Moray, possibly made in Ireland, 2300 - 2000 BC

Accession Number

X.EQ 117

Other references

Original description

COLLECTIONS FROM SEPULCHRAL DEPOSITS: Gold ornament or Earring, one of pair found in a cist at Orton on the Spey. MOSAICS note, April 1997: This is a Bronze Age hair ornament, used by either men or women on pleated hair. Possibly made in Ireland, it was found in 1863 at Orbliston Junction in Moray, during construction of the railway from Elgin to Keith. The ornament consists of an elongated oval sheet of gold folded into a semi-tubular shape with a tang for attachment. It is decorated on the inside edges with punched dots within two parallel lines. Around 2000 BC. Updated from SCRAN full data set, December 1998. [MoS description] Early People. Expressions of power. (2) Gold hair ornament, Orbliston. 2300 - 2000 BC. [Scran caption] This gold object, probably a hair ornament used on pleated hair, was found at Orbliston Junction in Moray. It was made sometime between 2300 and 2000 BC, possibly in Ireland. The ornament consists of an elongated oval sheet of beaten gold folded into a semi-tubular shape with a tang for attachment. It is decorated on the inside edges with punched dots within two parallel lines. Date: Between 2300 and 2000 BC. Material: Gold. Dimensions: Length: 13.5 cm.

Associated person/people (e.g. excavator/former collection)

None

Discovery / field collection

Date of discovery

Not recorded

Method (e.g. excavation)

Not recorded

Place (i.e. location of discovery)

Orbliston, Fochabers, Morayshire, Scotland, Northern Europe

Grid reference

Not recorded

Acquisition

Acquisition date

1869

Acquisition source (i.e. name of donor)

Alexander Walker

Acquisition source role (e.g. donor)

Donor

Image