Photographing the conserved Coll Hoard

Excavations on the Isle of Coll in 2016 by Trevor Cowie and Natasha Ferguson of the Treasure Trove Unit revealed a hoard of Bronze Age metalwork. These fragments of weapons, including spear heads and swords, had been placed into a watery location over three thousand years ago.

The hoard is now in the care of Kilmartin Museum. A recent crowdfunding campaign raised the funds required to support their preservation. Without specialist treatment by the Scottish Conservation School, these artefacts would rapidly have been destroyed by corrosion.

Monumental was first commissioned to photograph the Coll Hoard in 2017, when the objects were extremely fragile and almost unrecognisable. A year later, these new images reveal a remarkable transformation.

Above: The Coll Hoard in February 2017 (Photo: Aaron Watson, 2017)

Below: A bronze spearhead, before and after conservation (Photos: Aaron Watson, 2017 and 2018)

Above: The Coll Hoard in February 2018 (Photo: Aaron Watson, 2018)