Rare Viking treasure unearthed in Sweden
Archaeologists in Sweden have unearthed a rare Viking treasure. Found under what was a wooden floor, the collection of silver jewelry and coins tells a story of international trade nearly a thousand years ago.
A collection of silver neck torques, bangles and coins are among the valuables Viking treasures recently recovered in Viggbyholm, Täby, outside Stockholm, Sweden’s capital. Maria Lingström at The archaeologists The National History Museums in Sweden say that the 1,000-year-old silver hoard is something “you probably only experience once in a lifetime”.
The taxes kept coming and coming
The The Viking Age lasted between AD 793 to 1066 AD, when Scandinavian Vikings undertook large-scale raids and trade across Europe, Asia and North America. Now what is described as “a unique Viking Age hoard” has been unearthed by a team of archaeologists working in Täby, Stockholm, containing eight torque-style silver rings, bangles and coins.
A unique treasure collection dating back to the Viking Age has been discovered in Täby, Stockholm. Consisting of bangles, coins and eight torque style necklaces. ( The archaeologists )
The archaeologists press release say they excavated the foundations of 20 houses and buildings from around 400 AD, through the Viking Age and into the early Middle Ages. The treasure trove was hidden under what was once a wooden floor. Maria Lingström says that the researchers excavated the eight of high quality necklaces and that they “just kept coming and coming.” She added that each of the treasures are “extraordinarily well preserved” considering they were buried nearly a thousand years ago.
Cleaning one of the torque-like neck rings. ( Acta Conservation Centre )
Hiding in a hurry during times of trouble
During the Viking Age, Vikings communicated with a the runic alphabet and thousands adorned rune stones was created and erected all over Sweden. In fact, according to Visit Stockholm, of the 7500+ registered runestones identified in Scandinavia “over 2000 have been discovered in Sweden.” In addition, the largest concentration of preserved rune stones in the world can be found in the forest surrounding the Runic Kingdom, Täby, outside Stockholm, where the treasure was recently discovered.
A collection of coins, two bangles, a finger ring, two pearls and 12 coin pendants were found in a linen bag which had been hidden in a small ceramic pot. Exactly why the residents decided to hide what must have been their most valuable items under a wooden floor is still unclear. However, evidence suggests that this treasure was hastily buried when the village or household was threatened, and that the owners never returned to recover their treasure.
Archaeologist Maria Lingström excavates a house. ( The archaeologists )
For answers, always follow the money trail
The archaeologists say other Viking artefacts such as “arrows, quernstones and beautiful amulet rings” had previously been discovered in this area, but this storehouse representing the first recycled gold and silver. Some of the coins were minted in BohemiaBavaria, England and France, and of particular interest is a 9th century coin minted in the French city of Rouen, in Normandy.
Described as “extremely rare”, according to Stockholm University Professor Jens Christian Moesgaard, previously this type of coin was only known from drawings in an 18th century book.
Coins from Normandy (Acta Konserveringscentrum AB / the archaeologists)
The collection also contained five Arab silver ‘dirhams’, which during the Viking Age were minted in Muslim provinces in Central Asia such as Samarkand and Tashkent. Dirhams were minted and used on a large scale by Muslim merchants along the Volga and Don rivers and they came to Scandinavia from what are today Russian territories.
A “Far-reaching and flourishing trade
Jens Christian Moesgaard said that about a thousand years ago, the silver trade was controlled by a relatively small group of Vikings. Then, towards the end of the 9th century, the use of Arabic silver coins was greatly replaced by Western European coins which have been discovered all over Denmark. Archaeologist John Hamilton said these coins represent “a perfect example of the far-reaching connections and thriving trade that flourished in Viking Age Scandinavia.”
It is known that the Vikings in 1000 AD. traded all over Europe, as far east as Central Asia and in North America. Gold, silver, furs, silk, wine, spices, exotic jewelry, ceramics, and glassware were on the Viking trader’s inventory of luxury imports. However, the discovery of “Hacksilver” fragments, cut and bent silver, at many Viking trading centers suggests that silver was used by Vikings as a form of currency, with its weight acting as a trade standard.
Top picture: The silver stock of necklaces, bracelets and coins found in Sweden. Source: Acta Conservation Center / The archaeologists
By Ashley Cowie