In an international coup, Adelaide is the first stop on a world tour of the exhibition, Treasures of the Viking Age: The Galloway Hoard, and it will be the very first time this precious collection of objects has ever travelled outside the United Kingdom.

The Galloway Hoard is the richest find of rare and unique Viking-age objects ever made in Britain or Ireland. Buried around AD 900 and only discovered in 2014 in southwest Scotland, the Hoard contains a stunning variety of objects and materials buried together at one time.

Dr. Martin Goldberg, Principal Curator, Medieval Archaeology & History, National Museums Scotland, said: “The Galloway Hoard has repeatedly drawn international attention since its discovery and acquisition by National Museums Scotland.”

“But this hoard was in many respects a journey into the unknown, and the exhibition presents all the amazing discoveries we have made through our research. We’re delighted the exhibition can now be seen by audiences outside the UK, a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to experience these exceptional objects in person.”

Dr. David Gaimster, CEO, South Australian Museum, said: “The Galloway Hoard is a rich collection in every sense, from rare and unique examples of gold and silverwork that shows the artistry of the period to items of hacked bullion that show the intensity of trade and exchange.    Taken together, this hoard challenges popular understandings of this period in world history. Indeed, the Hoard reveals the extensive networks of trade and exchange that stretched from Scandinavia and the Atlantic across to Central Asia and the Silk Routes.

“We are delighted to partner with National Museums Scotland to bring the Galloway Hoard halfway across the globe for Australian audiences to experience up close – a turn of events the Hoard’s original owners could scarcely have imagined.”

Minister for Arts, the Hon. Andrea Michaels MP, added: “This Australian premiere exhibition, Treasures of the Viking Age: The Galloway Hoard is a coup and will bring another world-class exhibition experience to South Australia. This is going to be a fantastic event that will allow South Australians to learn and explore the Viking Age. The Malinauskas Government is proud to be providing additional support to the South Australian Museum to bring this extraordinary collection to our state.” 

The exhibition showing in Adelaide is supported by the South Australian Tourism Commission. Minister for Tourism, the Hon Zoe Bettison MP said: “We are thrilled to welcome the Treasures of the Viking Age: The Galloway Hoard exhibition to South Australia. This world-first showcase of such significant Viking-age artifacts outside the UK is a testament to our state's growing reputation as a premier cultural destination.”

“The exhibition will not only offer South Australians a unique opportunity to experience this extraordinary collection but will also attract visitors from across Australia and internationally, boosting our tourism sector and local economy. This is exactly the kind of world-class event that puts Adelaide on the global stage and reinforces our position as a vibrant, culturally rich city.”

The exhibition shows how the Hoard was buried in four distinct parcels and as the visitor is drawn further into this ancient world each parcel becomes richer and more unusual. The top layer was a parcel of silver bullion and a rare Anglo-Saxon cross, separated from a lower layer of three parts: firstly, another parcel of silver bullion wrapped in leather and twice as big as the one above; secondly, a cluster of four elaborately decorated silver ‘ribbon’ arm-rings bound together and concealing in their midst a small wooden box containing three items of gold; and thirdly, a lidded, silver gilt vessel wrapped in layers of textile and packed with carefully wrapped objects that appear to have been curated like relics or heirlooms. They include beads, pendants, brooches, bracelets, relics and other curios, often strung or wrapped with silk.

Decoding the secrets of the Galloway Hoard has also been a multi-layered process. Decorations, inscriptions, and other details hidden for over a thousand years have been revealed through careful conservation, painstaking cleaning, and cutting-edge research by a team of experts led by National Museums Scotland. Conservation of metal objects has revealed decorations, inscriptions, and other details that were not previously visible.

Many of the objects are types that have never been seen before in Britain and Ireland. Some had travelled thousands of miles to reach Scotland. Some items are too fragile to travel long distances, particularly those which still have rare traces of textiles that have survived for more than 1000 years. The exhibition will employ audio visual and 3D reconstructions to enable visitors to experience these objects and learn more about the detailed research that is being done.

In a surprising twist, the South Australian Museum has also uncovered two Viking Age pieces in its own collection of world cultures material, and they will also go on display for the first time to coincide with the exhibition.

A private collector from Sweden, Bertil Gunnarsson-Hagman, donated two brooches from Gotland to the Museum after settling in Adelaide during the 1940s. The Swedish Island of Gotland occupied a strategic position in Viking Age trade networks. The bronze women’s brooches would have originally been flashy fashion accessories, gilt in gold and silver to highlight the intricate metalwork. Authentic Viking Age items like this are rarely found in Australian museum collections.

BACKGROUND:

The Galloway Hoard was acquired by National Museums Scotland in 2017 with the support of the National Heritage Memorial Fund, Art Fund, and the Scottish Government, as well as a major public fundraising campaign. Since then, it has been undergoing extensive conservation and research at the National Museums Collection Centre in Edinburgh.

Ongoing research is supported by the Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC), which awarded £1 million for the three-year research project Unwrapping the Galloway Hoard, led by National Museums Scotland in partnership with the University of Glasgow. The project has also seen collaboration with experts from across the UK and Ireland, including The British Museum, Oxford University, University of Wales (Trinity St David), St Andrews University, and University College Cork.

EVENT DETAILS:

Treasures of the Viking Age: The Galloway Hoard will be on show at the South Australian Museum from 8 February to 27 July 2025.  Tickets to this landmark exhibition will go on sale next month, and the exhibition will be accompanied by a huge program of events for all ages including regular Friday night openings and a two-day Vikingfest in late June, with support from the Adelaide Economic Development Agency.

The exhibition showing in Adelaide is supported by the South Australian Tourism Commission.

ENDS

For more information, high resolution images or requests for interview please contact:

South Australian Museum

0466 389 019 | media@samuseum.sa.gov.au