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A large silver hoard dating to the medieval period has been discovered near Stockholm, Sweden.
The treasure was unearthed by a member of the public digging for worms near his summer house, and reported to the County Administrative Board in Stockholm. Archaeologists are now investigating the objects recovered and the site itself, the location of which currently remains a secret.
The find weighs c.6kg in total and is comprised of just over 24,000 silver coins, as well as around 100 other objects including rings, pendants, and beads. The whole collection was placed inside a copper cauldron, which is now in fairly poor condition, but the objects within remain well preserved. The coins that make up the bulk of the hoard mostly date to the 1100s and were produced in eastern Sweden, but there are also a few German, English, and Arabic examples that form parts of the other objects, which date back to the 10th century. A number of the Swedish coins bear the inscription ‘KANUTUS’, the Latin version of the name ‘Knut’, indicating that they were produced during the reign of Knut Eriksson, 1173-c.1195. The hoard contains several rare ‘bishop coins’, too, which were minted under ecclesiastical authority and feature an image of a bishop holding a crosier.
The hoard, which is one of the largest silver treasures from the early Middle Ages found in Sweden to date, is believed to have been buried for safekeeping during a period of unrest in the late 12th century and never recovered. Archaeologists will continue to examine and document this discovery over the coming months. The find will be reported to the National Heritage Board as well, in order to decide whether the state will claim the treasure and compensate the finder.
Text: Amy Brunskill / Image: Stockholm County Administrative Board
