A unique hoard of Bronze Age artefacts has been saved for the nation with help from the University of Southampton.

The Peebles Hoard, unearthed in 2020 by metal detectorist Mariusz Stepien in the Scottish Borders, is now in the possession of National Museums Scotland.

The hoard dates back to 1000-800 BCE and consists of more than 500 bronze and organic pieces that had been buried for over 3,000 years.

Amongst the items are several artefacts with unknown functions that could significantly enhance our understanding of Bronze Age Scotland.

The hoard also highlights Scotland's role in a historical international network of communities across the North Sea.

Notably, two "rattle pendants" - the first ever found in Scotland - are part of the collection.

These interlinked bronze rings and pendant plates, which would have been attached to a horse or vehicle, are typically found in Denmark, northern Germany, and northern Poland.

Other items include a sword in a wooden scabbard, bronze buttons on cords, and well-preserved decorative straps.

The hoard was excavated from the ground in a single block of earth and analysed under laboratory conditions.

It was CT scanned at the University of Southampton's specialist imaging facility, revealing details of the hoard's internal structure and the relationships between items in their original context.

The scanning process also revealed that some of the objects in the hoard were made using "lost-wax casting", which is some of the earliest evidence of this process in Scotland.

Professor Ian Sinclair, founder of the µ-VIS X-ray Imaging Centre at the University of Southampton, said: "We are pleased and excited to have worked as part of this multidisciplinary project.

"CT-scanning the hoard was certainly a big challenge due to the scale of the hoard block, but we relished the opportunity to bring our engineering skills to successfully support this research on such an exceptional historical find."

National Museums Scotland is now launching a fundraising campaign to support the costs of conserving the hoard, and unlocking its research potential to preserve the hoard for future generations and uncover the stories of Scotland's ancient past.