The Broighter Hoard – a true treasure ship
In February 1896, two men ploughing a field unearthed one of the greatest treasures ever found on the island of Ireland – the Broighter Hoard. This article examines the remarkable objects, including the wonderful Broighter Boat, and recounts the controversial legal case that followed the discovery.
The Discovery of the Broighter Hoard
On a February evening in 1896 two men were ploughing a stubble field in the townland of Broighter, close to the shore of Lough Foyle in County Derry. They were ‘double ploughing’ the field. This allowed for a deeper depth of soil to be turned, reaching as deep as the subsoil. James Morrow ploughed first, with John Nicholl following in his wake, when Nicholl felt the plough jerk suddenly as though it had struck an object. When they inspected the plough, they found that the coulter of the plough held a small metal dish, and noticed a number of other metal objects ‘arranged in one another’ close by in the ploughed ground. John Nicholl noted that the objects ‘felt as if they had been coated with some greasy material’, so two men took the finds back to the farmyard and they were washed in the open sink by the maid Maggie, who would later go on to marry Thomas (source).
John, James and Maggie took the objects to the farm owner who sold them to a jeweller in Derry City the next day. They were then bought by the Cork antiquarian Robert Day, who had the damaged objects restored in Dublin before taking them to London. The Broighter Hoard came to the attention of the Royal Irish Academy the next year in 1897, following a paper on the objects by the English archaeologist Sir Arthur Evans.
The Royal Irish Academy declared that the hoard should be declared treasure trove, and given into their keeping. Robert Day vehemently disagreed, and sold the hoard to the British Museum instead for £600 (close to €70,000 today). Instigating the famous legal case to decide the fate of the Broighter Hoard.
The Legal Tug of War for the Broighter Hoard
The High Court case was between the Crown (and Royal Irish Academy) versus the British Museum. The Crown’s case was that the hoard was buried with the intention to be retrieved later, and therefore should be classified as treasure trove, belonging to the Crown. Whereas the British Museum argued that the hoard was a votive offering, left with no intent to recover it, and therefore legally could not be classified as treasure trove.
The case must stand as one of the most unique ever heard by the British High Court. The Crown was represented by Edward Carson, (who would go on to become the leader of the Ulster Unionists), while the British Museum was represented by R. B. Haldane (afterwards first Viscount and Lord Chancellor of England).
At the centre of the argument was the question of whether the location where the hoard was found, was originally under the sea at the time that the hoard was deposited. If it could be proven that the hoard was deposited in the sea, that would show that the British Museum’s position was correct – that the golden objects were dropped into the water as an offering with no hope of retrieval.
A rarified assembly of experts were called on to give their opinion, including geologists like Prof. Edward Hull, Prof. Grenville Cole, and J. R. Kilroe, and archaeologists such as John Linton Myres, Arthur Evans, Robert Munro, and George Coffey; and Robert Lloyd Praegar who described the case: ‘The evidence produced ranged from the time of Xerxes (who made a votive offering of a gold cup and sword) to the present day, and from Finland and Greece to the Malay Archipelago…’.
After days of deliberation, the judge Mr Justice Farwell, decided in favour of the Crown and the Royal Irish Academy. Praegar recorded the judge’s closing statement, and it is well worth reading:
‘I must express my opinion that the Court has been occupied for a considerable time in listening to fanciful suggestions more suited to the poem of a Celtic bard than the prose of an English Law Report. The defendants’ suggestion is that the articles were thrown into the sea, which they suggest then covered the spot in question, as a votive offering by some Irish sea king or chief to some Irish sea god, at some period between 300 B.C. and 100 A.D., and for this purpose they ask the Court to infer the existence of the sea on the spot in question, the existence of an Irish sea god, the existence of a custom to make votive offerings in Ireland during the period suggested, and the existence of kings or chiefs who would be likely to make such votive offerings…’
How old is the Broighter Hoard?
The Broighter Hoard is generally accepted to date to the Iron Age, with the consensus of experts suggesting that the date falls in the region of c.100 BC. As the hoard was accidentally discovered in the 19th century, there are no radiocarbon dates to scientifically establish the date that it was deposited. The estimate of 100 BC is derived from the artistic style of the objects, which has been described as ‘La Tène’.
However, there has been dispute about the date in the past. The antiquarian Robert Cochrane wrote in the Journal of the Royal Society of Antiquaries in 1902, that he believed that the hoard may be from the early medieval period. He described how the field where the hoard was found, was known as the ‘Church Field’, while a neighbouring field was known as ‘The Graveyard Field’ due to the frequent appearance of human bone when it was ploughed. He contended that there was a probability of an early monastery based on this. He suggested that the hoard may have been hidden due to the frequent Viking raids along the coastline.
Where did the Broighter Hoard come from?
Another key question is the discussion about the origin of the items in the hoard. And again, this has been the subject of extensive debate. Some experts questioned the authenticity of the hoard, including Adolf Mahr, the former head of the National Museum of Ireland (and Nazi activist). Others suggested that the items were not buried or hidden in prehistory, but were instead hidden loot by a 19th century burglar, who had stolen the property of a local collector and stashed them away for later retrieval.
However, analysis of the Broighter Hoard itself allays these fears. In 1970, the objects from the Broighter Hoard were analysed to assess the source of the gold. All of the objects were found to be made of the same gold that had trace amounts of platinum, suggesting that they all derived from the same source rather than a collection of looted material.
The analysis of the gold of the Broighter Hoard is consistent with all the other golden objects with La Tène decoration, such as the torcs from Dunfanaghy in County Donegal. This gold is extremely similar to gold analysed from La Tène items from the Rhineland, leading to the suggestion that the Irish La Tène objects, or at least their raw material, may have been imported from there.
Stylistically, there are differences between the objects however. And there are suggestions that the necklaces in particular show features that are of a type common in Roman Egypt, while the twisted collar has more in common with others from Southern England.
With the coastal setting for the find, combined with the beautiful boat, it is clear that movement and trade is certainly bound up in the story of the Broighter Hoard. It is fascinating to wonder whether the person who fashioned these wondrous objects was a well-travelled Irish goldsmith, who drew inspiration from the styles of the various places that they visited. Or whether they were manufactured elsewhere and transported to Ireland fully complete.
Let’s look a little closer at each of the objects:
The Broighter Boat
The Broighter Boat is one of the most iconic symbols of prehistoric Ireland, and it has appeared on stamps, book and album covers, and more. It is finely made from a single sheet of gold. Though small, measuring less than 20cm long, it is beautifully detailed, and offers unique insights into early sea-going boats. The hull is riveted with eight thwarts or rowing seats (a ninth was found soon after the initial discovery, and it was sold on to a jeweller who presumably melted it down as it is now lost). The oars are made from twisted gold wire, that pass through tiny holes in the gunwale, with a steering oar at the back. A slender mast is connected with a yard, and you can also see a small spar, barge-poles, and a grapnel.
There has been debate regarding whether the Broighter Boat represents a wooden boat, or a skin covered craft like a currach. The arguments against the currach idea is that the detailed model shows no indication of the internal frame that a skin boat would require. Though the Broighter Boat may have been intended as a suggestive depiction of a boat, rather than an accurate and complete model of what a sea going vessel would have looked like.
The Gold Collar
Though the boat may be the most famous item from the Broighter Hoard, the stunning gold collar is equally worthy of attention. It is made of hammered sheet gold, sumptuously decorated with relief and inscribed patterns, with [highly] stylised birds and horse motifs. The terminals of the collar were fitted with a mortise and tenon device that fastened the collar.
The delicate design is of complex symmetry, executed to the highest standard of craftsmanship. The design is similar in some respects to that of the La Tène sword scabbards from Lisnacrogher, and shows the skill of the Iron Age metalworkers that were either producing such material here, or that were producing it elsewhere in Europe or Britain and exporting it to Ireland.
The Chains and Gold Bowl
The golden chains or collars are also of interest. One is made of a tightly woven strand of gold, while the other has three delicately woven strands that join at the terminals. The clasps of the chain have been identified as a type that was widespread in the Mediterranean, and so it is believed that these chains were imported from the Roman world, and possibly from as far as Egypt. The collars also hint at trade and travel, as they are of a type more commonly found in southern England.
The small golden bowl has rings that would have allowed it to be suspended from thin chains. It too is an unusual object in an Irish context. Eamonn P.Kelly, former Keeper of Irish Antiquities at the National Museum of Ireland, has speculated that it may be a model of a cauldron. Like the model boat, could this be another symbolic offering to the Gods? The sea god Manannán mac Lir was associated with Lough Foyle. The place name ‘Broighter’ may be derived from ‘Brú Íochtair’. In early Irish mythology a brú was a residence or palace of a god or supernatural entity, while the term íochtair means ‘lower’. The place name may therefore be a reference to the underwater residence of Manannán mac Lir (source).
Dig Deeper
There are a number of ways to learn more about the wonderful Broighter Hoard:
- Go and see the wonderful Broighter Hoard for yourself! You’ll find it in the Treasury Exhibition of the National Museum of Ireland.
- Or you can take a virtual tour of the Treasury here.
- Ken Neill wrote an excellent article on the discovery and court case in this edition of Archaeology Ireland.
- Richard Warner also has a paper The Broighter hoard: a reappraisal and the iconography of the collar on Academia.edu.
- There are two books that are well worth seeking out to immerse yourself in the collections of the National Museum, and both feature the Broighter Hoard, the older is the Treasures of the National Museum of Ireland, and the more recent A History of Ireland in 100 Objects. Both should be available from the National Museum shop.
Dig Deeper
There are a number of ways to learn more about the wonderful Broighter Hoard:
- Go and see the wonderful Broighter Hoard for yourself! You’ll find it in the Treasury Exhibition of the National Museum of Ireland.
- Or you can take a virtual tour of the Treasury here.
- Ken Neill wrote an excellent article on the discovery and court case in this edition of Archaeology Ireland.
- Richard Warner also has a paper The Broighter hoard: a reappraisal and the iconography of the collar on Academia.edu.
- There are two books that are well worth seeking out to immerse yourself in the collections of the National Museum, and both feature the Broighter Hoard, the older is the Treasures of the National Museum of Ireland, and the more recent A History of Ireland in 100 Objects. Both should be available from the National Museum shop.
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