‘Amazing’ Viking-age treasure travelled half the world to Scotland, analysis finds

[robinjojo]

From today's Guardian:

https://www.theguardian.com/science/article/2024/sep/01/amazing-viking-age-treasure-travelled-half-the-world-to-scotland-analysis-finds

And here's depiction of the fire alter referred to in the article, on a Sassanian coin:

Sasanian Kingdom, AR drachm, possibly Valkash, 484-488 AD.

4.05 grams

Edited September 1, 2024 by robinjojo

[Ryro]

Iran to Scotland! Was pretty far though so I didn't run fast😉

Sorry. I'll show myself out. 

[John Conduitt]

The Vikings got about a bit.

Visigoth Cut Quarter Tremissis, 402-586

Ravenna. Gold, 8mm, 0.26g. Profile bust; partial AVG legend. Victory?; partial -A AV- legend (cf. RIC 2719, 3754, 3759). Possibly copied from a solidus in the name of Libius Severus (461-465) and struck during the reign of Theoderic II (453-466) or Euric (466-484). Found on the Isle of Wight in 2021 (Portable Antiquities Scheme IOW-FA583E) near a Visigothic tremissis of Leovigild (519-586), IOW-FA517C. Likely cut and taken to the Isle of Wight by a Viking before 900.

[robinjojo]

I think it is very interesting that the source of the silver used to make the jar was traced to Iran (Persia).  I wonder how they excluded other sources with similar chemical composition.

Edited September 2, 2024 by robinjojo

[John Conduitt]

2 hours ago, robinjojo said:

I think it is very interesting that the source of the silver used to make the jar was traced to Iran.  I wonder how they excluded other sources with similar chemical composition.

Lead isotopes. That's how they work out the origins of most ancient and medieval silver. The silver comes from a lead ore (so the metal contains a bit of this lead) and the number of neutrons in the lead atoms is unique to each location.

Edited September 2, 2024 by John Conduitt