Rare Whitby jet jewellery found buried in ancient Scottish settlement

Posted by Caroline on 23rd Jun 2015

Two prehistoric Whitby jet necklaces and a Whitby jet bracelet have been uncovered by archaeologists under the village of Dunragit, Dumfries and Galloway. The surprising discovery was made at the construction site of the Wigtownshire bypass, along with thousands of other artefacts which belonged to an Iron Age village. The necklaces are thought to have been made in Whitby around 4000 years ago, and it is the first time that Whitby jet has been found in south west Scotland. One of the items is an elaborate 130 piece beaded jet necklace.

The jewellery is thought to have been owned by wealthy village elders. Whitby jet jewellery has previously been found in other parts of Scotland, suggesting the gemstone was highly regarded there. The pieces will now be analysed further and will eventually be displayed at an as yet undecided location.

With special thanks to GUARD Archaeology for kindly providing us with these photographs.