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Homeowner Unearths Largest Viking Silver Hoard in Denmark
Developing
In Short: A Danish homeowner stumbled upon the largest hoard of Viking Age silver ever found in the country while preparing his garden for a new terrace.
A Danish homeowner was digging out a few stubborn stones for a new terrace in their garden when their shovel struck something that sounded strangely different, leading to the discovery of the largest Viking Age silver hoard ever found in Denmark, according to reports from the Independent and Zmescience.
The homeowner, who asked to remain anonymous, described the moment as a 'big surprise' and noted that the find was not just a few hours of hard gardening work, but a significant archaeological discovery.
The hoard, which consists of almost 700 objects including silver bars, bracelets, 50 coins, and a small Thor's hammer artefact, is nearly three times heavier than the previous largest Viking Age silver hoard, the Terslev Hoard, which weighed about 6.5 kilograms.
Archaeologist Torben Sarauw from the Museums of North Jutland emphasized the importance of the find, stating, 'This is a find of great importance for our understanding of the Viking Age in Denmark.
The hoard is peculiar as it is dominated by bars, jewellery, and silver clips, with coins only making up a very small part of the total weight, unlike previously discovered Viking treasure in Denmark.
According to Nordjyske Museer, the discovery happened in spring in the municipality of Rebild, where researchers found that many bars, bracelets, and pieces of silver can be arranged into specific weight groups, indicating a practice of cutting silver into smaller pieces or melting it down.
The find includes two Anglo-Saxon silver pennies minted during the reign of Edward the Elder, who ruled from 899 to 924, and another coin minted in York between 921 and 925, when the city was under Viking control.
Archaeologists believe that the hoard was likely buried sometime in the 10th century and could provide valuable insights into the economic practices of the Viking Age, as Dr Sarauw noted, 'When we analyse the weight of the silver objects, the treasure reveals information about the economic practices of the Viking Age.
Background
Denmark is a Nordic country in Northern Europe. It is the metropole and most populous constituent of the Kingdom of Denmark, also known as the Danish Realm, a constitutionally unitary state that includes the autonomous territories of the Faroe Islands and Greenland in the north Atlantic Ocean.
What's confirmed
- “It should’ve just been a few hours of hard gardening work removing stubborn grass, stones and gravel for a new tiled terrace, but it turned out to be the biggest surprise of my life," said the homeowner, who asked to remain anonymous.
What's still developing
- Nothing material beyond the confirmed record.