Work has been completed to restore an early Bronze Age necklace and bracelet to its original form to allow the public to see it in all its glory for the first time in more than 4,000 years.
The work was carried out by experts at National Museums Scotland and will go on display at The McManus: Dundee’s Art Gallery & Museum this September to coincide with Scottish Archaeology Month.
The jewellery was discovered more than 150 years ago in a Bronze Age burial at the former Balgay Estate near Dundee in 1870. There were 42 jet beads and nine jet plates and for more than a century, it was believed to be a single piece of jewellery. Recent research by Dr Allison Sheridan at National Museums Scotland has now revealed they belong to a match necklace and bracelet set.
Further in-depth analysis has allowed conservators to accurately recreate 66 unique missing beads restring the jewellery in its original Bronze Age formation.
The plates, which separate the barrel-shaped beads into multiple strands, are decorated with intricate bored dot designs. Such craftsmanship indicates that they were valuable pieces. The jet itself was an exotic raw material, imported from Yorkshire. Gentle wear on the larger plates shows the jewellery was frequently worn and treasured, most likely by a woman of status.
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The jewellery will go on loan to Dundee from National Museums Scotland with the support of players of People’s Postcode Lottery. The necklace and bracelet will be displayed within The McManus’ Landscapes and Lives gallery, which explores the natural landscape of Dundee from an early geological age and highlights the lives of people in the Tay Valley from Mesolithic period to the Iron Age.
Matthew Knight, Senior Curator of Prehistory at National Museums Scotland, said: “We’re delighted to be loaning this exceptional necklace and bracelet to The McManus.
“The painstaking work undertaken by National Museums Scotland researchers and conservators has been truly special and allows us to travel back in time and experience these important Bronze Age objects as they would have been seen thousands of years ago.
“Through collaboration with colleagues from Leisure & Culture Dundee, we can now explore the previously untold story of the Balgay burial. We’re grateful for the generous support of players of People’s Postcode Lottery, which allows National Museums Scotland to continue to share the National Collection with audiences across the country, bringing these remarkable moments in Scottish history to life in a tangible and inspiring way.”
Christina Donald, Curator of Early History at Leisure & Culture Dundee, said: "We look forward to welcoming the Balgay jet jewellery to Dundee for our museum visitors to see on display for the first time. We highly value the partnership that has made this possible.
“Thanks to the expertise and generosity of National Museums Scotland, we can showcase the jewellery and reveal the results of in-depth scientific research to shed light on these important artefacts. Documentary study by volunteers from Abertay Historical Society and Friends of Balgay Park has also helped us share the story of the re-discovery of this necklace and bracelet more than 100 years ago by the banks of the Tay."
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