Recently, a young girl accomplished the dream that most metal-detecting hobbyists spend decades chasing: Using her metal detector, she found nearly 300 silver coins that are over a millennium old. The coins were buried nearby a Viking fortress site in northwestern Denmark.
The artifacts are slated to be displayed at the North Jutland Museum.
Where Exactly Were the Rare Coins Found?
A 1,000-year-old Viking treasure hoard has been discovered in Scotland https://t.co/zxsYcwwmnk
— Outlander Anatomy (@OutLandAnatomy) November 18, 2016
The silver coins were unearthed around five miles away from the Fyrkat Viking ringfort, a 1,000-plus year-old castle near the town of Hobro in Northern Jutland, Denmark.
Among the unearthed trove were Danish, Arabic, and Germanic coins. Pieces of Scottish and Irish jewelry were also found. According to Lars Christian Norbach, director of the North Jutland Museum, the discovery offers insight into Viking history.
Museum archaeologist and curator Torben Trier Christiansen added, “The two silver treasures in themselves represent an absolutely fantastic story, but to find them buried in a settlement just eight kilometers from Harald Bluetooth’s Viking castle Fyrkat is incredibly exciting.”
Were the Coins Connected to a Viking King?
Hoard of 1,000-year-old Viking coins unearthed in Denmark
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The coins date back to the 900s, during a time in which the Vikings were ruled by King Harald “Bluetooth” Gormsson. Remembered best as the ruler who united Denmark and Norway, Gormsson’s nickname was rooted in his prominent dead tooth.
Christiansen informed Danish news site TV2 Nord that “there is no doubt” that the unearthed coins were linked to Gormsson; he even implied that the coins’ discovery could provide new information regarding the king.
What Other Pieces of Viking History Are Historians Hoping to Find?
With this discovery, archaeologists from the North Jutland Museum have been given a grant to further excavate the site.
“I hope we find the remains of a large Viking hall,” Christiansen told TV2 Nord.
Metal Detecting Is a Hobby That Has the Potential to Pay Off
Many stereotype metal detecting as a hobby for overly optimistic individuals who are inevitably going to be let down when all they find are cheap rings and pennies. However, for some, it has yielded monumental results.
For example, in 2008, treasure hunter Mike DeMar discovered a nearly 400 year-old gold chalice from the Santa Margarita, a Spanish ship that sank in 1622 and was full of treasure. DeMar’s find earned him $1 million.
While a large portion of the Santa Margarita treasure was found in 1980, there is still millions of dollars’ worth of sunken gold waiting to be discovered by treasure hunters.
