13 Year Old Helped Find Viking Treasure In Germany

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Last January, two amateur archaeologists, Rene Schoen and his 13-year-old student, Luca Malaschnitschenko, were metal detecting on the German island of Ruegen in the Baltic Sea when they found what they believed to be a piece of aluminum in a field. After a closer look, however, they realized it was a piece of Viking silver. Now, reports the Associated Press, a crew of professionals has excavated the area, finding a treasure horde linked the reign of famous Danish Viking King Harald "Bluetooth" Gormsson.



According to AFP, last weekend the Mecklenburg-West Pomerania state archaeology office conducted a dig in the field, excavating about 4,300 square feet. They uncovered necklaces, pearls, rings, a silver amulet in the shape of Mjölnir (the hammer of Thor) and close to 600 coins, including about 100 dating from the Bluetooth's reign from 958 to 986 C.E. that bear the first Christian crosses to enter Danish currency. The oldest of the coins is a Damascus dirham, a currency used on the Middle East, dated to 714. The newest coin is a penny dated to 983. The age of the coins led the archaeologists to believe the cache of silver was deposited sometime in the 980s.

"This trove is the biggest single discovery of Bluetooth coins in the southern Baltic Sea region and is therefore of great significance," lead archaeologist Michael Schirren tells DPA/The Local.

It's possible that this treasure trove is directly linked to Bluetooth himself. During his reign, Bluetooth consolidated most of Denmark into one kingdom and also converted Denmark into a Christian kingdom. In the 980s, however, it's believed his son Svein Forkbeard defeated Bluetooth, forcing him to flee to northern Germany. Camila Domonoske at NPR reports that in the 19th century, treasure hunters found a cache of golden objects on the nearby island of Hiddensee, which is believed to have been a cache deposited by Bluetooth's entourage during their flight.


Read more :  https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/thirteen-year-old-finds-viking-treasure-germany-180968817/