About ten years ago, one of the most important archaeological discoveries of the century in Britain took place: the unearthing of over 5 kilograms of silver, gold, and historical artifacts. Recently, one of the vessels from this treasure was cleaned with a laser at the National Museum of Scotland to remove the green corrosion covering it. After this cleaning, its engravings were revealed—and remarkably, Iranian and Zoroastrian motifs became visible. The central emblem on the goblet is a fire altar, the same symbol used on Sassanid imperial coins. It also became clear that the vessel is adorned with a crown from which flames emerge…
Source: Euronews Persian
Researchers say that a remarkable ancient vessel, kept in the Viking-era treasure collection at the National Museum of Scotland, was made using silver extracted from a mine in Iran (Persia).
This vessel, which had been wrapped in ancient textiles, was discovered about ten years ago along with several other historical items by a metal detector enthusiast on a farm in Kirkcudbrightshire, Dumfries and Galloway, Scotland.
Researchers state that these artifacts were buried in the soil around 1,100 years ago.
This discovery, described as one of the most significant archaeological finds of the century in Britain, yielded over 5 kilograms of silver, gold, and ancient objects ranging from Christian cross pendants to brooches. These historical items were subsequently transferred to the National Museum of Scotland.
Initially, the outer surface of the silver vessel could only be seen via X-ray scans, as museum authorities were cautious not to damage the delicate textile remains. Since then, portions of the textile have been carefully removed using advanced techniques, and the vessel has been laser-cleaned to eliminate most of the green corrosion on its silver surface.
Now, for the first time, details of a design including crowns, flaming altars, and creatures such as leopards and tigers can be clearly observed on the vessel.
Researchers say the engraved imagery corresponds to the iconography of the Zoroastrian religion, which was the official faith of the Sassanid Empire—the last pre-Islamic Persian empire before the Muslim conquests of the 7th century CE.
Dr. Martin Goldberg, curator of Early Medieval and Viking collections at the National Museum of Scotland, explains:
“The central motif on the goblet is what they called a fire altar. It’s the same symbol used on Sassanid imperial coins and was a cornerstone of their religious practices.
The vessel… is adorned with a crown from which flames are emerging. This imagery likely tells us that the vessel was either intended for the royal family or used by them.”
Sassanid emperors were frequently depicted in art and iconography hunting leopards and tigers—and similar tigers appear on this goblet. Dr. Goldberg remarks, “Seeing those tigers for the first time was truly astonishing.”
The engravings on the vessel have led experts to believe that this 14 cm-tall goblet likely belonged to “an exceptionally high-ranking aristocratic family with strong ties to the royal court.”
Scientific analysis has shown that the silver used in the vessel originated from a mine in what is now modern-day Iran.
Dr. Jane Kershaw, a Viking silver expert at the University of Oxford who collaborated with the National Museum of Scotland on this project, notes:
“This vessel is made from a relatively pure silver-lead alloy, which is characteristic of Sassanid silver… The lead isotopes in both the silver metal and the niello (a black inlay used in metal engraving) point to Iran.
We can even go as far as to say that the niello [a mixture of silver, sulfur, and lead] used in the decoration likely came from the famous Nakhlak mine in Iran. Scientifically confirming such a distant origin for this extraordinary object is astonishing.”
The Nakhlak lead-silver mine, which is still active today, is located in Anarak, Naein, in Isfahan province. Its extraction history goes back nearly 2,000 years.
Experts still do not know how this ancient vessel traveled thousands of kilometers from Iran to southwestern Scotland, or who brought it there.
