| Caption | "Pictish silver chain from Nigg Bay, St Fitticks, Kincardineshire (5th - 6th cent AD)."
Author: Inglis,Jim & Curtis,Neil Date: 1990 Purpose: Encyclopaedia of the North-East
"During the Pictish period silver chains were associated with kingship, wealth or high status. They are thought to date from about the 7th century AD, and usually come from south of the River Tay, and may be British rather than Pictish. This substantial double-link chain contains 95 per cent silver, a high percentage, and possibly is made from melted-down Roman silver-gilt, beaten into circular rings. Six sets of links survive, most of them double. Originally the chain was longer and had a penannular ring at one end. The chain was found, buried in a cloth bag, on a headland near Nigg Bay, Aberdeenshire in the late 18th century."
Author: Feilden,Rosemary Date: 1999 Purpose: SCRAN
"Aberdeen 14th August 1796 Sir, In April last as Mr Edward Farmer in Nigg was digging in a fine black mould, at the depth of 2 feet his spade met with a resistance and thinking it a stone he applied force & broke a chain part of which is now presented to his ?Alma Mater?, and which you will be pleased to deposite in the College Museum or Library for the inspection of the curious, and that mention if it be transmitted to the Society of Antiquaries of Scotland at Ediburgh. The Chain when taken out of the ground had a most infernal smell and the farmer imagining it to be the plague that had been there buried, used it very roughly, and tho? it was about 2 feet long, with a thimble at one end (such as sailors use for their ropes) yet the thimble and other links were all broken in a thousand pieces by the farmer, his servants, his children and others, in order to try what metal it was. From its brittleness in breaking they did not suspect it to be silver:- Even the Goldsmiths upon trying it with their instruments, thought it an East Indian composition of copper and tine (called Tuthenang). But from the Black outside & whitish inside, and from its throwing off verdegreese, and its being drawn into wire I judged it was silver, but was not certain till be a trial in the fire proved it to be such. Its brittleness is owing to its lying long underground. It is perfectly rotten to the heart ? silver buried long underground is very brittle, and if in thin plates it will moulder down between the fingers. But the fire renders it malleable (from the small specimen sent). The chain may perhaps throw some light hereafter upon what we little expect at present, as the bowels of the Earth are still replete with specimens of ancient implements & as the spirit of improvement in agriculture goes on apace, so the Earth will be more and more ransacked and exposed to view. Some think it a prisoners chain, others to the Church, such as were used for vessels to hold incense, others to the Spanish Armada, or to the Surinam Dutch fleet wreck?d on this coast and pillaged from their ships some person there hid it ? That it was hidden seems probably, for the chain was found in a lump, as if dropp?d into the earth from ones hand and just where the pan and black mould seperate. An attempt was made to dig round the place some little distance, but there was not the least vestige of any article to throw any light upon the cause of its being there interred ? and as yet it can only be conjectured as to its date and real use ? The place where it was found was very solitary ? on a grassy declivity rising 20 feet above the level of the rocks and sea mark on the North Branch of the land adjoining to the extremity of the Bay of Nigg. Meantime I am, Sir, Your former pupil And obed. humble servant. Jonathan Troup For Dr Hamilton "
Author: Triup, Jonathan Date: 14/08/1796 Purpose: letter
"Aberdeen 14th August 1796 Sir, In April last as Mr Edward Farmer in Nigg was digging in a fine black mould, at the depth of 2 feet his spade met with a resistance and thinking it a stone he applied force & broke a chain part of which is now presented to his ?Alma Mater?, and which you will be pleased to deposite in the College Museum or Library for the inspection of the curious, and that mention if it be transmitted to the Society of Antiquaries of Scotland at Ediburgh. The Chain when taken out of the ground had a most infernal smell and the farmer imagining it to be the plague that had been there buried, used it very roughly, and tho? it was about 2 feet long, with a thimble at one end (such as sailors use for their ropes) yet the thimble and other links were all broken in a thousand pieces by the farmer, his servants, his children and others, in order to try what metal it was. From its brittleness in breaking they did not suspect it to be silver:- Even the Goldsmiths upon trying it with their instruments, thought it an East Indian composition of copper and tine (called Tuthenang). But from the Black outside & whitish inside, and from its throwing off verdegreese, and its being drawn into wire I judged it was silver, but was not certain till be a trial in the fire proved it to be such. Its brittleness is owing to its lying long underground. It is perfectly rotten to the heart ? silver buried long underground is very brittle, and if in thin plates it will moulder down between the fingers. But the fire renders it malleable (from the small specimen sent). The chain may perhaps throw some light hereafter upon what we little expect at present, as the bowels of the Earth are still replete with specimens of ancient implements & as the spirit of improvement in agriculture goes on apace, so the Earth will be more and more ransacked and exposed to view. Some think it a prisoners chain, others to the Church, such as were used for vessels to hold incense, others to the Spanish Armada, or to the Surinam Dutch fleet wreck?d on this coast and pillaged from their ships some person there hid it ? That it was hidden seems probably, for the chain was found in a lump, as if dropp?d into the earth from ones hand and just where the pan and black mould seperate. An attempt was made to dig round the place some little distance, but there was not the least vestige of any article to throw any light upon the cause of its being there interred ? and as yet it can only be conjectured as to its date and real use ? The place where it was found was very solitary ? on a grassy declivity rising 20 feet above the level of the rocks and sea mark on the North Branch of the land adjoining to the extremity of the Bay of Nigg. Meantime I am, Sir, Your former pupil And obed. humble servant. Jonathan Troup For Dr Hamilton "
Author: Troup, Jonathan Date: 14/08/1796 Purpose: letter |