Viking Age Treasure Found In Man’s Garden

A homeowner in Denmark went outside to do some gardening and wound up discovering the largest Viking Age silver stash ever found in the country. The treasure cache includes 700 objects such as jewelry, coins, silver bars, and even a miniature Thor’s hammer! The treasure weighs more than 40 pounds—making this Viking silver collection nearly three times heavier than Denmark’s previous record holder.

More than 300 of the objects were found in a clay vessel, and the remaining pieces were scattered in the surrounding soil. Archaeologists who inspected the hoard said the treasure was buried sometime in the 10th century.

During the Viking Age, scrap silver, bars and jewelry were used as a method of payment, with the weight dictating the value. People often cut silver into smaller pieces or melted it down. Archaeologists saw signs of this practice in the recently discovered treasure. A number of the silver objects were found together around specific weight groups.

“This is a find of great importance for our understanding of the Viking Age in Denmark,” archaeologist Torben Sarauw at the Museums of North Jutland. “Not just because of its size but also because the treasure clearly shows how silver functioned as wealth and a means of payment in the Viking Age. It’s like finding a safe from the Viking Age.”

The gardener, who has remained ANONYMOUS, said he found “the biggest surprise of his life” when he went outside to clear some stubborn grass before building a new terrace. Not long after he started digging, he hit a metal object with his gardening tool. While he initially though he had struck an old piece of wire or debris, he quickly realized he had discovered much more! Under Danish law, the items uncovered belong to the government. They are currently being assessed at the National Museum of Denmark. Although the homeowner who found the silver cannot keep the treasure, he is eligible to receive a reward.