Viking Hoard Discovered in England

In what is being described as a "very exciting find" over 200 items dating back to around the year 900 have been discovered near Silverdale, in north Lancashire. The Silverdale Viking Hoard was discovered in mid-September 2011 by Darren Webster, a local metal-detector enthusiast and includes 27 coins, 10 complete arm-rings, 2 finger-rings and 14 metal bars.

Researchers are interested in a single coin that shows a previously unknown Viking ruler. One side of the coin has the words DNS REX, arranged in the form of a cross, while the other side has the inscription AIRDECONUT, which appears to represent the name Harthacnut.

The website European Histories suggests this Harthacnut might be the same person who is mentioned in Adam of Bremen's chronicles as a Northumbrian king who returned to Denmark in the mid-10th century and captured the Scandinavian kingdom.

Dr Gareth Williams, the curator of early medieval coins at the British Museum, said: "Some of the coins reinforce the things we already know but with some of them it fills in the gaps where we didn't even know we had gaps. It is always great when you get a new piece of evidence. This is the first new medieval King for at least 50 years and the first Viking King discovered since 1840. It is a very exciting find."

For more details see http://www.medievalists.net/2011/12/15/viking-hoard-discovered-in-england/ and http://www.europeanhistories.com/airdeconut

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News & Politics

Tags:

• Vikings
• England
• Medieval
• Archaeological
• History
• Anglo-Saxon
• Coins