A metal detectorist was still left “shaking with happiness” just after getting a hoard of Bronze Age artefacts in the Scottish Borders.
A full horse harness and sword was uncovered by Mariusz Stepien at the website near Peebles in June.
Industry experts reported the discovery was of “national significance”.
The soil had preserved the leather-based and wood, allowing authorities to trace the straps that connected the rings and buckles.
This allowed the experts to see for the initially time how Bronze Age horse harnesses ended up assembled.
Mr Stepien was browsing the industry with good friends when he uncovered a bronze object buried 50 % a metre underground.
He explained: “I considered ‘I’ve never ever noticed anything at all like this before’ and felt from the quite starting that this could be some thing stunning and I’ve just found a significant aspect of Scottish history.
“I was over the moon, actually shaking with joy.”
Mr Stepien and his buddies camped in the subject as archaeologists spent 22 days investigating the web page.
He reported: “Every single working day there were being new objects coming out which modified the context of the obtain, each working day we figured out some thing new.”
Archaeologists found a sword even now in its scabbard, adorned straps, buckles, rings, ornaments and chariot wheel axle caps.
There is also evidence of a decorative “rattle pendant” that would have hung from the harness, the first to be located in Scotland, and only the 3rd in the United kingdom.
Emily Freeman, head of the Crown Office’s Treasure Trove Device, claimed it was “a nationally-sizeable locate.”
She explained: “So handful of Bronze Age hoards have been excavated in Scotland, it was an amazing possibility for us to not only get well bronze artefacts, but natural and organic content as nicely.
“There is however a lot of perform to be carried out to assess the artefacts and have an understanding of why they have been deposited.”
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