A newly translated Runic Inscription has 'mandatory' shed new light on who has had the Galloway treasure, experts have announced.
The Viking Age Schat, which contains more than 11 km (5 kg) of gold, silver and other materials, was discovered in 2014 by a metal detectorist in Balmaghie, near Kirkcudbright.
Since then, the question of who owned the treasure has remained a mystery.
A number of theories have been raised, in which some suggest that it is possible buried by four owners, based on four arm rings registered with Anglo-Saxon runs.
Three of the inscriptions contain old English name elements, but the fourth and longest inscription has confused experts and did not continue to be deciphered because there was no recognizable direct translation.
However, researchers from National Museums Scotland (NMS) who have studied the treasure have proposed a new translation for the fourth inscription: “This is the wealth/ownership of the community.”
Martin Goldberg, at NMS, said that the translation marked an 'important development in our understanding of the Galloway treasure'.
“The idea that the wealth that represents this treasure is being held in common is fascinating,” he said.
A newly translated Runic Inscription has 'mandatory' shed new light on who has had the Galloway treasure, experts have announced. Above: an arm ring with a Runic inscription with which experts have now presented a translation. They say it could read: “This is the wealth/ownership of the community”
Some of the treasures found in the Galloway treasure
'It still lets us ask unanswered about the circumstances in which the wealth of a community would be buried, and also which specific community.
“Some material in the treasure, such as the Pectoral Cross and the Rock Crystal Jar made for a bishop Hyguald, would support this as a religious community.”
The breakthrough came when researchers realized that the Runic inscription in the curved half of the arm ring, reading DIS is Iigna F, perhaps 'technically' wrong ''.
The most important problem, they said, was the word 'Iignaf', which did not match a language spoken in early medieval Great Britain or Ireland.
The discovery that the last rune, F, was pronounced to both parties with pitts or dots, indicating that it could be conceived as the name of the F-Rune itself 'Feoh' (wealth or property), unlocked the new translation.
The researchers said that 'Iigna' could then be interpreted as the old English word 'Higna' (community) with the first letter spelled in an unusual but understandable way.
They added that the word 'dis' also seems to be wrong – but that it probably means 'this', where the 'TH' is pronounced as a 'D' as is the case in parts of modern Ireland.
The other side of the arm ring that has been the subject of the new investigation
The Runic inscriptions on objects found in the Galloway -Eschat
Despite these apparent mistakes, the researchers said that the entire inscription can therefore be translated as 'this is the wealth/ownership of the community', adding that the word 'Higna' is often used elsewhere in Anglo -Saxon documents to take on a religious community to give.
Runologist Dr. David Parsons, from the University of Wales, who previously translated other Runic inscriptions from the treasure, said that the apparent mistakes could be explained by 'variations' in the way Runen were used.
“This is a difficult and unusual inscription and the proposed translation is a challenge,” he said.
'There are a number of things that are technically' wrong 'when we compare it with what we know about' correct 'Runisch writing.
'If we think of both spoken and written English today, there is a huge range of regional and idiomatic variations and, if we allow this, it will be possible to accept this as a plausible reading.
Found a pot in the Galloway treasure. The treasure was discovered by amateur metal detector Derek McLennan in Dumfries and Galloway
Another of the artifacts found in the Galloway treasure in 2014
Golden ingrons and artifacts. National Museums Scotland described the treasure as 'unique' in bringing together such a variety of objects in one discovery
Previous investigation of Anglo -Saxon Runic inscriptions on one of the silver arm rings of the treasure revealed the name 'Ecgbeorht' or, in its more modern form, Egbert
“And in the context of what (we) can distract over the Galloway treasure, it becomes really attractive.”
The new finding comes at the end of a three -year research project called Unwrapping the Galloway Hamard, which was supported by the UKRI Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC).
Christopher Smith, chairman of the AHRC, said: 'It has been fascinating to see the succession of important discoveries in the lives of unpacking the Galloway HOOARD project, of the exotic origin of some of his star pieces to the presence of the aforementioned Individuals and now this newest exciting discovery. '
The Armring will be on display in the South Australian Museum in Adelaide as part of a new international touring exhibition, Treasures of the Viking Age: The Galloway Hoard, which opens on Saturday.
Further locations for the international tour will be announced in due course, as well as plans for the future display of the treasure after the conclusion of the Tour, also in Kirkcudbright, near where it was discovered.
