Rare Viking-age treasure begins international tour

The international tour will continue after Australia, with more venues to be announced soon.

After its discovery a decade ago, the hoard underwent “careful conservation, painstaking cleaning and cutting-edge research”, the National Museums of Scotland said.

The collection’s decorations, inscriptions and other hidden details were revealed over a thousand years after being buried.

In September, experts discovered that part of the collection came from West Asia after a lidded silver vessel was found still wrapped in its ancient textiles.

Experts said the vessel was originally from central Iran and transported halfway around the world more than 1,000 years ago.

However, some of the items are now too fragile to travel for long distances.

So the exhibition will use audio visual and 3D reconstructions to take visitors through the different layers of items exactly as they were uncovered in southern Scotland.