A hoard of Roman silver discovered by a teenage metal detectorist in his "first proper find" is to go on display in Scotland.

David Hall, from Livingston who is now 16, found the hacksilver in Fife when he was aged 14, in 2014.

The silver was believed to have been used by Roman soldiers to bribe Picts while passing through Scotland.

David said he did not initially realise the importance of the find and is excited to see how it now looks.

The Dairsie hoard dates to the late 3rd century AD and is the earliest hacksilver from anywhere beyond the frontiers of the Roman Empire.

The find has been hailed as "internationally significant" and will go on show for the first time in a new exhibition at the National Museum of Scotland in October.

Hacksilver consists of silver objects hacked into pieces to make raw bullion.

Archaeologists think the silver came to Fife as a gift or payment from the Roman world.

The Romans could not just rely on the strength of their army - they also used diplomatic efforts to secure the empire's borders by buying off surrounding tribes.

Curators have undertaken a daunting jigsaw puzzle, reconstructing four Roman vessels from more than 300 fragments, as well as examining how they had been cut into packages of bullion.

To read the complete article, see:
'Significant' Roman silver hoard found in Fife by teenager(http://www.bbc.com/news/uk-scotland-edinburgh-east-fife-40778533?SThisFB)

To read the complete article, see:
Hacksilver (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hacksilver)