An inscription on one of the arm-rings from the Galloway Hoard may finally have been deciphered, offering fresh insights into the origins of this extraordinary Viking-Age treasure trove.
Since the hoard’s discovery in 2014, researchers have speculated that it may have been buried by four different owners, based on four inscribed silver arm-rings found within. While three of these bear Old English name elements, the fourth featured a puzzling inscription that had eluded translation—until now.
Experts at National Museums Scotland believe they have unlocked its meaning. Their new interpretation suggests the inscription reads: “this is the community’s wealth/property.”
A Communal Treasure?
Martin Goldberg of National Museums Scotland described the breakthrough as “another really interesting and significant development in our understanding of the Galloway Hoard.” He noted that while the concept of communal wealth is fascinating, it raises further questions:
“The idea that the wealth this hoard represents would be communally held is fascinating. It does still leave us with unanswered questions around the circumstances in which a community’s wealth would come to be buried, and also which particular community. Some material within the hoard, such as the pectoral cross and the rock crystal jar made for a Bishop Hyguald, would support this being a religious community.”
The runes carved inside the arm-ring had posed a significant challenge for scholars. The main issue lay in the word ЇIGNAF, which did not correspond to any known language from early medieval Britain or Ireland. However, a crucial clue came from the final rune, F, which was marked with puncts—dots on either side—suggesting it should be read as feoh, the Old English word for wealth or property. This unlocked the rest of the phrase, with ЇIGNA interpreted as a variant spelling of higna, meaning community.
The first word, DIS, appears to be a phonetic misspelling of “this,” possibly reflecting pronunciation variations similar to modern Irish dialects. Despite the unusual spelling, the inscription aligns with other Anglo-Saxon documents that use higna to refer to religious communities.
A Difficult but Plausible Inscription
The Galloway Hoard Image (c) National Museums Scotland
Dr. David Parsons, a leading runologist from the University of Wales who has studied previous inscriptions from the Galloway Hoard, acknowledged the translation’s challenges:
“This is a difficult and unusual inscription, and the proposed translation is challenging. There are a number of things which are technically ‘wrong’ when we compare it with what we know about ‘correct’ runic writing. However, if we think about both spoken and written English today, there are a huge range of regional and idiomatic variations and, if we allow for this, then it becomes possible to accept this as a plausible reading. And in the context of what can deduce about the Galloway Hoard it becomes really quite compelling.”
The discovery marks the conclusion of Unwrapping the Galloway Hoard, a three-year research project funded by the UKRI Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC) and led by National Museums Scotland in partnership with the University of Glasgow.
“It has been fascinating to see the succession of significant discoveries over the life of the Unwrapping the Galloway Hoard project, from the exotic origins of some of its star pieces to the presence of named individuals and now this latest exciting discovery,” says AHRC Executive Chair Christopher Smith. “We’re delighted to have supported this work and in particular welcome the volume of public interest and engagement it has so frequently generated. It serves as a prime example of how the power of arts and humanities research to shine a light on past cultures and the people who lived within them resonates in our own world.”
International Exhibition Brings the Hoard to New Audiences
The arm-ring featuring the inscription will be displayed at the South Australian Museum in Adelaide as part of Treasures of the Viking Age: The Galloway Hoard, an international touring exhibition that opened on 8 February.
The exhibition explores how the hoard was buried in four distinct parcels, each becoming richer and more unusual. The uppermost layer contained a parcel of silver bullion and a rare Anglo-Saxon cross, while the lower layers revealed elaborately decorated arm-rings, gold objects hidden within a wooden box, and a silver-gilt vessel wrapped in textiles and filled with carefully curated items—beads, pendants, brooches, relics, and other valuables.
One of the hoard’s most remarkable finds was the silver-gilt vessel, recently traced to the Sassanian Empire in modern-day Iran. Many items in the hoard originated far beyond Scotland, highlighting the interconnected world of the Viking Age.
Since its acquisition by National Museums Scotland in 2017, the Galloway Hoard has been undergoing extensive conservation and analysis at the National Museums Collection Centre in Edinburgh. Cutting-edge research has uncovered previously unseen details through conservation, cleaning, and advanced imaging techniques.
While some items are too fragile to travel, the exhibition will use audiovisual and 3D reconstructions to bring them to life. After the international tour, which will include additional venues yet to be announced, the hoard will eventually go on permanent display—including in Kirkcudbright, near its original discovery site.
The Unwrapping the Galloway Hoard project has also fostered collaboration between institutions across the UK and Ireland, including The British Museum, Oxford University, the University of Wales, St Andrews University, and University College Cork.
An inscription on one of the arm-rings from the Galloway Hoard may finally have been deciphered, offering fresh insights into the origins of this extraordinary Viking-Age treasure trove.
Since the hoard’s discovery in 2014, researchers have speculated that it may have been buried by four different owners, based on four inscribed silver arm-rings found within. While three of these bear Old English name elements, the fourth featured a puzzling inscription that had eluded translation—until now.
Experts at National Museums Scotland believe they have unlocked its meaning. Their new interpretation suggests the inscription reads: “this is the community’s wealth/property.”
A Communal Treasure?
Martin Goldberg of National Museums Scotland described the breakthrough as “another really interesting and significant development in our understanding of the Galloway Hoard.” He noted that while the concept of communal wealth is fascinating, it raises further questions:
“The idea that the wealth this hoard represents would be communally held is fascinating. It does still leave us with unanswered questions around the circumstances in which a community’s wealth would come to be buried, and also which particular community. Some material within the hoard, such as the pectoral cross and the rock crystal jar made for a Bishop Hyguald, would support this being a religious community.”
The runes carved inside the arm-ring had posed a significant challenge for scholars. The main issue lay in the word ЇIGNAF, which did not correspond to any known language from early medieval Britain or Ireland. However, a crucial clue came from the final rune, F, which was marked with puncts—dots on either side—suggesting it should be read as feoh, the Old English word for wealth or property. This unlocked the rest of the phrase, with ЇIGNA interpreted as a variant spelling of higna, meaning community.
The first word, DIS, appears to be a phonetic misspelling of “this,” possibly reflecting pronunciation variations similar to modern Irish dialects. Despite the unusual spelling, the inscription aligns with other Anglo-Saxon documents that use higna to refer to religious communities.
A Difficult but Plausible Inscription
Dr. David Parsons, a leading runologist from the University of Wales who has studied previous inscriptions from the Galloway Hoard, acknowledged the translation’s challenges:
“This is a difficult and unusual inscription, and the proposed translation is challenging. There are a number of things which are technically ‘wrong’ when we compare it with what we know about ‘correct’ runic writing. However, if we think about both spoken and written English today, there are a huge range of regional and idiomatic variations and, if we allow for this, then it becomes possible to accept this as a plausible reading. And in the context of what can deduce about the Galloway Hoard it becomes really quite compelling.”
The discovery marks the conclusion of Unwrapping the Galloway Hoard, a three-year research project funded by the UKRI Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC) and led by National Museums Scotland in partnership with the University of Glasgow.
“It has been fascinating to see the succession of significant discoveries over the life of the Unwrapping the Galloway Hoard project, from the exotic origins of some of its star pieces to the presence of named individuals and now this latest exciting discovery,” says AHRC Executive Chair Christopher Smith. “We’re delighted to have supported this work and in particular welcome the volume of public interest and engagement it has so frequently generated. It serves as a prime example of how the power of arts and humanities research to shine a light on past cultures and the people who lived within them resonates in our own world.”
International Exhibition Brings the Hoard to New Audiences
The arm-ring featuring the inscription will be displayed at the South Australian Museum in Adelaide as part of Treasures of the Viking Age: The Galloway Hoard, an international touring exhibition that opened on 8 February.
The exhibition explores how the hoard was buried in four distinct parcels, each becoming richer and more unusual. The uppermost layer contained a parcel of silver bullion and a rare Anglo-Saxon cross, while the lower layers revealed elaborately decorated arm-rings, gold objects hidden within a wooden box, and a silver-gilt vessel wrapped in textiles and filled with carefully curated items—beads, pendants, brooches, relics, and other valuables.
One of the hoard’s most remarkable finds was the silver-gilt vessel, recently traced to the Sassanian Empire in modern-day Iran. Many items in the hoard originated far beyond Scotland, highlighting the interconnected world of the Viking Age.
Ongoing Research and Future Displays
Since its acquisition by National Museums Scotland in 2017, the Galloway Hoard has been undergoing extensive conservation and analysis at the National Museums Collection Centre in Edinburgh. Cutting-edge research has uncovered previously unseen details through conservation, cleaning, and advanced imaging techniques.
While some items are too fragile to travel, the exhibition will use audiovisual and 3D reconstructions to bring them to life. After the international tour, which will include additional venues yet to be announced, the hoard will eventually go on permanent display—including in Kirkcudbright, near its original discovery site.
The Unwrapping the Galloway Hoard project has also fostered collaboration between institutions across the UK and Ireland, including The British Museum, Oxford University, the University of Wales, St Andrews University, and University College Cork.
Top Image: Runic inscriptions on the Galloway Hoard © National Museums Scotland
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