7 December 2023 The Future is the Product of the Past

Scotland’s oldest tartan discovered in Highlands bog

According to new research, a piece of fabric discovered in a bog in the Scottish Highlands may be the oldest traditional tartan ever discovered.

New tests on a scrap of fabric found in a Highland peat bog in the early 1980s have concluded that the iconic checked material is likely to have been created in the 16th century.

Discovered in a peat bog in Glen Affric in the Scottish Highlands, the faded fabric features traces of green and brown dye and belonged to an unknown clan.

Researchers used dye analysis and radiocarbon dating to determine the tartan’s age. The investigation found four possible colors in the fabric, via high-resolution digital microscopy, including green, brown, and possibly red and yellow.

Researchers discovered no artificial or semi-synthetic dyes were used in the tartan’s creation, leading them to believe it predates the 1750s and was most likely created between 1500 and 1600. This making it the oldest known piece of true tartan discovered in Scotland.

The Glen Affric tartan, thought to be the oldest in Scotland, which will be displayed in a new exhibition at the V&A Dundee from next month. Photo: Alan Richardson / V&A Dundee
The Glen Affric tartan, thought to be the oldest in Scotland, which will be displayed in a new exhibition at the V&A Dundee from next month. Photo: Alan Richardson / V&A Dundee

STA’s head of research and collection Peter MacDonald explained that the testing process took almost six months and that the organisation was “thrilled with the results”, adding, “In Scotland, surviving examples of old textiles are rare as the soil is not conducive to their survival”.

This piece’s survival is most likely due to it being buried in peat, which prevents exposure to air and other factors that could have further damaged it.

Experts have said the tartan was more of a rustic fabric, more associated with an outdoor working garment rather than somebody of high status.

It may have belonged to the Clan Chisholm, which controlled the area at the time, although researchers are unable to make any firm conclusions.

The tartan measures around 21in by 17in (55cm by 43cm).

The piece of Scottish history is expected to go on display at the Scottish V&A Dundee museum’s Tartan exhibition.

V&A Dundee

Related Articles

Part of lost star catalog of Hipparchus found hidden in Medieval parchment

22 October 2022

22 October 2022

Hipparchus’ fabled star catalog, which had been thought to be lost, was discovered concealed in a medieval parchment that had...

Restoration of Türkiye’s 2,000-year-old King’s Daughter Roman bath nears completion

1 August 2023

1 August 2023

The 2,000-year-old Roman bathhouse Basilica Therma or King’s Daughter in Türkiye’s central Yozgat province is nearing the final stages of...

Archaeologists discover Stargazer idol fragment in Turkey’s In the ancient city of Beçin

15 December 2021

15 December 2021

During archaeological excavations in the ancient city of Beçin in the Milas district of southern Turkey’s Muğla, the head of...

Artvin Demirkapı/Arılı rock paintings give information about Anatolian Bronze Age Nomadic

14 December 2021

14 December 2021

Rock paintings are material cultural assets that provide us with unique information about the socio-cultural structure, religious beliefs, and rituals,...

New Museum being Built for the Stolen Goddess Cybele in Western Turkey

12 June 2021

12 June 2021

A marble statue of the Anatolian mother goddess Cybele, which was returned to its native home of Turkey’s Afyonkarahisar will...

Unique Gems found in Claterna, known as the ‘Pompeii of the North’

18 November 2023

18 November 2023

Italian archaeologists have unearthed 50 unique jewels during ongoing excavations at Claterna, the ancient Roman site known as the ‘Pompeii...

A new study shows that the cave paintings at Cueva Ardales are the work of Neanderthals

21 August 2021

21 August 2021

A study of pigments used in murals in the Cueva Ardales caves in southern Spain has revealed that Neanderthals, long...

Rare 832 copper coins from the Portuguese era unearthed in Goa, India

11 November 2023

11 November 2023

In Sattari, Nanoda, in the state of Goa on the west coast of India, 832 copper coins that are believed...

Scientists Ancient Landscape Not Seen For 14 Million Years Discovered Beneath Antarctic Ice

26 October 2023

26 October 2023

Researchers have uncovered an ancient landscape that remained hidden beneath the East Antarctic Ice Sheet (EAIS) for at least 14...

460-Year-Old Wooden Hunting Bow Found in Alaska’s Lake Clark

11 March 2022

11 March 2022

In late September 2021, National Park Service employees made an unlikely discovery in Lake Clark National Park and Preserve in...

A very Rare Medieval Pocket Sundial Discovered in Germany

31 July 2023

31 July 2023

A rare Medieval sundial, which is approximately the size of a matchbox was discovered in the old town of Marburg,...

‘World’s oldest dated rune stone’ found in Norway

18 January 2023

18 January 2023

The oldest known Rune stone in Norway has been discovered by Norwegian archaeologists working at the Museum of Cultural History...

Archaeologists Discovered Submerged Stoa Complex in Ancient Salamis, Greece

27 October 2023

27 October 2023

Archaeologists exploring the east coast of Salamis, the largest Greek island in the Saronic Gulf, discovered a large, long, and...

A Small Sandstone Carved With A Viking Ship May Be Oldest Picture Ever Found In Iceland

16 June 2023

16 June 2023

Archaeologists in East Iceland have found a sandstone carved with a Viking ship that may be the oldest picture ever...

Neanderthals caused ecosystems to change 125,000 years ago

16 December 2021

16 December 2021

Researchers say Neanderthals changed the ecosystem by turning forests into grasslands 125,000 years ago. Around 125,000 years ago, these close...