From the BBC:

Viking treasure haul unearthed in Scotland

A haul of Viking treasure has been unearthed from a field in south west Scotland by an amateur using a metal detector.

Derek McLennan, a retired businessman from Ayrshire, made the find in Dumfriesshire in September.

In total, more than 100 items were recovered, including armbands, a cross and brooches.

Experts have said the discovery is one of the most important Viking hoards ever found in Scotland.

The treasure is on display at the National Museum of Scotland in Edinburgh at the Vikings exhibition, which runs until 12 May.

The items are believed to be worth a six-figure sum.

Mr McLennan last year uncovered Scotland’s biggest haul of medieval silver coins.

Among the objects within the hoard is an early Christian cross thought to date from the 9th or 10th Century.

The solid silver cross has enamelled decorations which experts consider to be highly unusual.

The haul also includes possibly the largest silver Carolingian pot ever discovered, with its lid still in place.

The pot is likely to have been around 100 years old when the hoard was buried in the mid 9th or 10th Centuries.

Stuart Campbell, National Museum of Scotland’s head of Scotland’s treasure trove unit, said: “This is a hugely significant find, nothing like this has been found in Scotland before in terms of the range of material this hoard represents.

“There’s material from Ireland, from Scandinavia, from various places in central Europe and perhaps ranging over a couple of centuries.

(More at the link)