A curious account of ancient Egyptian Treasure Trove in Scotland

Abstract

An ancient Egyptian object buried in the grounds of a historic house near Monimail in Fife was found by chance in 1952 and acquired at the time by the then Royal Scottish Museum (now National Museums Scotland). A second object from the same location appeared by chance in 1966 and was shown to the Museum but not accessioned. The revelation of a third object in 1984 prompted an investigation that produced clear evidence there had once been a larger collection of Egyptian antiquities at Melville House. This paper offers the first published account of how these events unfolded and discusses the possible origins of the collection through a visit to Egypt by members of the Leslie-Melville family in 1856–7. The third object and the finds made in 1984 during the investigation were claimed by the Crown as Treasure Trove and all are now in the collections of National Museums Scotland. They are apparently the only ancient Egyptian items to have been declared as Treasure Trove in Scotland. A catalogue of these objects, along with the original find, is provided. The main text of the paper is by Elizabeth Goring with additional comments by Margaret Maitland; the catalogue is by Margaret Maitland. Canmore ID 30153