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Hobbyist Archaeologist Uncovers Finland’s Largest Viking-Age Coin Hoard
The New York Times • • world
Key Points:
- A metal detectorist in southern Finland discovered the largest Viking-Age silver coin hoard ever found in the country, located in the forest of his hometown, Sysma.
- The hoard, managed by Lahti Museums, includes thousands of coins, a bracelet, and a silver bead, totaling about 10 pounds of silver, which is double the size of a previous 1895 find in Nousiainen.
- Archaeologists consider the discovery highly significant as it highlights Finland’s historical connections to the Viking world and Scandinavian cultural sphere during the late Finnish Iron Age.
- The museum plans to clean, study, and accurately date the hoard after recovering it following the detectorist’s alert to antiquities authorities.
- The Viking Age, spanning approximately 750 to 1050 AD, involved Scandinavian seafarers whose trade links across the Baltic Sea connected Finland to broader Viking and Scandinavian activities.
