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Finland metal detectorist unearths record-breaking Viking coin hoard
foxnews.com • • world
Key Points:
- A metal detectorist in Sysmä, Finland, discovered the country's largest Viking Age silver hoard, containing over 4,000 coins and other silver items dating from 1000 to 1050 A.D.
- The hoard includes coins from Sweden, Britain, Germany, and dirhams from regions now in Turkey and Iran, weighing about 10 pounds in total.
- Archaeologists highlight that the find suggests Sysmä was an important Late Iron Age trade hub, contrasting with its modest modern-day status.
- The hoard was buried in two separate deposits about 39 feet apart, a rare "double hoard" phenomenon, and its owner and reason for burial remain unknown.
- The discovery is expected to significantly enhance understanding of the Viking Age silver economy in Finland, where hobby metal detectorists have greatly contributed to recent archaeological finds.
