Broighter Gold

A native of the Irish Iron Age Broighter Hort is a seven-part gold hoard of excellent quality, which in 1896 while plowing a stubble field in the townland Broighter (Irish Brú Íochtair ) on the shores of Lough Foyle in County Londonderry was discovered in what is now Northern Ireland. The Fund consists of nested utensils in the form of a boat model, two necklaces, a bowl and three torques, one of which is an ornately decorated buffer torque.

The Broighter boat

The most striking piece is the small boat, which has its nearest spatial and temporal correlation in the Fund from Thorshøj in Denmark. In the Irish context, it is unique and is the earliest depiction of a sailing ship in Ireland Represents the finely crafted boat is 18.4 cm long 3.7 cm wide and weighs about 85 g The ship model contains benches, oarlocks, two rows of nine strap and a rudder. These include three forks, a yard and a spear.

The buffer -Torque

The buffer -Torque is a masterpiece of the art of Latènestils. It consists of a hollow tubular neck ring of hammered gold sheet with connection buffers, which were fastened with gold needles. A number of similar torc is known from the continent and dates from the 1st century BC However, the rich decoration of the Broighter neck ring and the insular style suggests that it locally, possibly from an experienced craftsman with contacts to the UK and beyond was prepared. The motives seem stylized birds or horses represent, while Richard Warner has suggested ( by the Ulster Museum ), that represent some seahorses.

Importance of the hoard

The nautical nature of the hoard and its location on the seafront, in an area which was in ancient times under water, have led to speculation about the fact that it could be a sacrifice to a water deity Manannan mac Lir possibly. In ancient legends of this ancient Irish god of the sea with the Lough Foyle, a cauldron, sailing ships and a magical horse is connected, which is able to travel over land and sea ( according to Waddle 1998).

At the other artefacts from the hoard include a small bowl of beaten gold and four neck rings. It is likely that this bowl is a boiler, an object that could have had both ritual and purely functional significance during the Iron Age. The two necklaces are from the Mediterranean, dating from the 1st century BC and 3rd century AD The twisted torc, although probably of Irish origin, related to neck rings of the 1st century, have been found in Britain. Today is the Broighter refuge in the National Museum of Ireland in Dublin, a true copy is on display in the Ulster Museum in Belfast, Northern Ireland.