Treasures of an Iron Age warrior go on display for the first time

nms.ac.uk/ScotlandsFirstWarriors

Press images are available here. 

Scotland’s First Warriors (27 Jun 2026 – 16 May 2027) will bring together over 200 objects spanning thousands of years, to explore the origins and impact of conflict and violence in prehistoric Scotland, from the Neolithic to the Roman conquest. The exhibition will be free to visit and is supported by Postcode Lottery players. 

The remains of a man aged between 17 – 25 years old were discovered in a stone-lined cist at Marshill in Alloa. He was buried around AD 10-70, with an iron sword in a leather scabbard placed carefully across his chest, and a spear laid alongside him. He was richly adorned with ornaments including a glass bead pendant, bronze cloak pin, and bronze and iron rings from a belt around his waist. Two bronze toe rings suggest he wore sandals, a sign of high status.  

Very few Iron Age burials have been discovered in Scotland and those including weapons are exceptionally rare. The Marshill burial represents the reemergence of the Scottish warrior in response to the new and formidable threat of Rome during the first century AD. 

Dr Matthew Knight, Senior Curator of Prehistory at National Museums Scotland, said: 

“The remarkable objects from the Marshill burial give us a vivid insight into the mindset of prehistoric communities living in Scotland almost 2,000 years ago. Burying people with weapons may reflect the person’s role in life as a warrior, or how their community wanted them to be seen in the afterlife. These treasured objects tell us this young man was a powerful member of his community. Following extensive research and conservation, I am thrilled that visitors will have the opportunity to see these objects for the first time in Scotland’s First Warriors.” 

The burial assemblage was discovered by archaeologist Susan Mills as part of a routine excavation of two cists in 2003. The objects have undergone significant research and conservation by experts at the National Museums Collection Centre and are on loan to the exhibition from the Treasure Trove Unit. 

Replicas of the sword and spearhead have been created for the exhibition by Ratho Byres Forge and Alan Braby. These will be displayed alongside the originals to illustrate the gleaming and intimidating splendour they once possessed.  

Alongside the Marshill burial assemblage, Scotland’s First Warriors will include never-before-seen internationally significant archaeological discoveries from across Scotland such as the Carnoustie Hoard. The exhibition will present the origins of organised conflict and will explore how people fought, the motivations for fighting, the brutal impact of war on people’s lives and the long-lasting legacy of prehistoric conflict. 

Scotland’s First Warriors 
27th June 2026 - 16th May 2027 
National Museum of Scotland, Chambers Street, Edinburgh, EH1 1JF  

Admission Free 

nms.ac.uk/ScotlandsFirstWarriors 

Scotland's First Warriors is supported by Postcode Lottery players and will be accompanied by a programme of events at the National Museum of Scotland, including an in-conversation with Tristan Hughes, presenter of the History Hit podcast The Ancients.