Archaeologists excavating a Viking-age hamlet in a Stockholm suburb have found a treasure in silver jewelry and coins that gives new evidence of how far and wide Vikings traded a thousand years ago.
The treasure, including eight “extraordinarily well-preserved” neck rings, was apparently hidden under the wooden floor of a house, suggesting that the owner was concerned with holding on to possessions in turbulent times.
The silver coins, found in a linen pouch, include ones minted in England, Bohemia and Bavaria and five Arabic coins. One of the European coins, minted at Rouen, in Normandy, is considered extremely rare.
The excavation of the site at Viggbyholm, is in an area thought to have been inhabited between 400 AD, through the Viking Age (800 to 1050 AD and on into the early Middle Ages. More than 20 houses and buildings have been found at the site.
