Alistair Hardaker
Image: Conservator Bethan Bryan works on the Bronze Age Carnoustie Hoard © National Museums Scotland
Carnoustie weapons discovery with rare gold-decorated spearhead to debut at National Museums Scotland in June 2026
National Museums Scotland has acquired a Bronze Age hoard discovered in Carnoustie, which will go on display for the first time in a new exhibition opening next summer. The hoard will feature in Scotland’s First Warriors, running from 27 June 2026 to 17 May 2027, which will bring together over 250 objects spanning thousands of years to explore the origins and impact of conflict and warfare in prehistoric Scotland.
The hoard includes a rare spearhead decorated with gold and a bronze sword in a wooden scabbard, dating from around 1120-920 BC. The spearhead has an intricately decorated gold-bound socket, representing one of only two such examples known from Scotland. It was discovered alongside a bronze sword with an unusual lead-tin pommel, still sheathed in the remains of a wooden scabbard.
The sword was carefully wrapped in a woven wool garment, fastened with a disc-headed pin, whilst the spearhead blade was wrapped in sheepskin and the socket was wrapped in a fine woollen cloth. The weapons suggest the existence of a localised warrior elite in the Angus area over 3,000 years ago.
The hoard was deliberately and thoughtfully placed near a Bronze Age round structure, making it the only Bronze Age weapon hoard from Scotland to be found within a clearly defined settlement. This provides an opportunity to explore the relationship between these objects and the lives of the people who crafted and used them. The survival of prehistoric textiles and organic material is extremely rare and reveals the care and attention that went into the formation of the hoard.
Dr Matthew Knight, senior curator of prehistory at National Museums Scotland, said: “The Carnoustie Hoard is a remarkable discovery. This is the first time we’ve encountered weapons buried at a settlement where people lived. It forces us to reconsider relationships between people and these objects and enriches our picture of life in Bronze Age Scotland. On top of that we have the exceptional survival of wood, textiles and animal skin that express how much these objects were valued. After hours of painstaking conservation, I can’t wait for visitors to see the hoard for the first time in our new exhibition Scotland’s First Warriors.”
Alongside the Carnoustie Hoard, Scotland’s First Warriors will include never-before-seen internationally significant archaeological discoveries from across Scotland. From the Neolithic to the coming of the Romans, the exhibition will present the origins of organised conflict, exploring how people fought, the motivations for fighting, the brutal impact of war on people’s lives and the long-lasting legacy of prehistoric conflict.
The hoard was unearthed in 2016 by GUARD Archaeology near Carnoustie, in an area that was due to be developed into two football pitches. The full assemblage of archaeological finds from the site represents a nationally significant group of objects spanning nearly 3000 years from the early Neolithic to the late Bronze Age.
