The Carnoustie Hoard features front and centre of the National Museum of Scotland’s latest exhibition – Scotland’s First Warriors which opened at the weekend and will run until 16 May 2027. And it’s free! This exhibition reveals the origins and impact of conflict in prehistoric Scotland, presenting tangible material evidence for organised warfare, from the Neolithic in the 4^th -2^nd millennium BC to the coming of the Romans in the 1^st century AD. If you are interested in ancient swords, spears and shields, this is the exhibition for you. And find out how the Carnoustie Hoard fits into Scotland’s archaeological legacy of prehistoric conflict.

We are incredibly proud that the Carnoustie Hoard is included in such an interesting exhibition at the National Museum of Scotland. The allocation of finds assemblages to appropriate museums is an integral part of the work we do, alongside disseminating knowledge – via the publication of the results; and preserving the record of the evidence that we recovered – via deposition of the site archive in the National Record of the Historic Environment.

Following post-excavation analyses, the assemblage from the Carnoustie excavation was reported to the Treasure Trove Unit who deal with all the daily reporting of finds across Scotland, delegated from the Kings and Lords Treasurer’s Remembrancer. The assemblage was then considered by the Scottish Archaeological Finds Allocation Panel and allocated to National Museums Scotland. The assemblage was delivered to the National Museums Collection Centre, where it was accessioned into the National Collection. The assemblage was then catalogued by staff, recording each object as well as the contextual information and analytical results, enabling further research in years to come.