Finland’s largest Viking Age silver hoard unearthed
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Kalle Lappinen, a metal detectorist in Sysmä, Finland, discovered a large hoard of Viking Age silver on September 3rd.
The find, located in a forest near the town’s church village, contains thousands of coins and weighs nearly 10 pounds (4.5 kilograms). Archaeologist Esko Tikkala of the Lahti Historical Museum led an excavation of the site following Lappinen’s report. This hoard surpasses a 4.9-pound cache discovered in Nousiainen in 1895, becoming the largest Iron Age treasure found in Finland.
The coins originate from various locations including Scandinavia, Germany, Britain prior to the Norman Conquest, and potentially as far east as the Islamic world and the Byzantine Empire. Tikkala’s team believes the silver dates to between 1000 and 1050 CE, suggesting extensive trade networks. While the era coincides with Viking activity, researchers have not yet found evidence linking the hoard directly to Viking plunder.
The hoard also includes a silver bracelet, clasp, and bead, and contains “payment silver,” or hacksilver, pieces of silver intended to be cut into smaller units for trade. Researchers will continue to study the coins to determine their precise quantity, weight, and age.
