Almost a decade ago, metal detectorists in Kirkcudbrightshire, Scotland, went hunting for lost treasure. To their amazement, they would go on to discover the richest collection of Viking Age objects ever found in Britain or Ireland in a ploughed field. The Galloway Hoard has been hailed as a remarkable discovery, with more than 100 gold, silver, glass, crystal and earthenware objects being uncovered.
Now, everything from piles of silver arm rings to gold-mounted rock crystal jars are heading Down Under, and for the first time ever in Australia, you will be able to see the most important Viking Age discoveries of the 21st century up close at the Melbourne Museum.
The Galloway Hoard dates to around AD 900, a period of intense cultural and political upheaval. The collection was buried in four parcels and includes more than 100 astonishing objects, from silver bullion and intricately worked jewellery to items that reveal trade routes stretching as far as Central Asia. Some of the pieces – including recently deciphered runic inscriptions – are still rewriting what we know and understand about the Viking Age today.
Treasures of the Viking Age: The Galloway Hoard is a travelling exhibition, developed by National Museums Scotland, that showcases years of painstaking conservation and cutting-edge research. Intricate details, hidden inscriptions and newly uncovered mysteries are revealed for the first time outside the UK.
To mark the opening weekend, Dr Martin Goldberg, principal curator of medieval archaeology and history at National Museums Scotland, will give a special curator’s lecture on Friday, August 29, followed by exclusive pop-up talks across the weekend. Topics range from women’s lives in the Viking Age to global connections revealed by the hoard’s exotic materials.
Having drawn record crowds in Scotland, there's no doubt that it will be one of Melbourne Museum's biggest events of the year.
The Galloway Head is opening at Melbourne Museum on August 29 and running until January 26, 2026. For more information and to book tickets, head here.
