Latest news with #VikingHoard
BBC News
8 hours ago
- General
- BBC News
Crystal jar from Viking treasure hoard to go on show in Kirkcudbright
A rock crystal jar from a significant Viking hoard discovered near Dumfries will be displayed for the first time later this Galloway Hoard was unearthed in a field by metal detectorist Derek McLennan in 2014 and is thought to be one of the most important archaeological finds in the UK this about AD 900, it contained a variety of objects and materials, including pendants, brooches, bracelets and relics. The jar, which resembles an ornate perfume bottle decorated in gold embellishments, will go on display at Kirkcudbright Galleries on 8 November. National Museums Scotland, which acquired the collection in 2017, said the jar was wrapped in linen and placed in a silk-lined leather pouch, before being packed into a larger lidded vessel with more than 20 other several months, the object was carefully separated from the textile - a rare medieval survival itself which is believed to include Scotland's earliest example of and other precious textile survivals had to be conserved with care, so the jar has never been available for display jar is thought to relate to the Christian church or its clergy and has a Latin inscription written in gold which translates as "Bishop Hyguald had me made". National Museums Scotland said due to gaps in church records in the 9th century, when the hoard is thought to have been buried, it had not been possible to identify Hyguald or exactly where he was based. Dr Martin Goldberg from National Museums Scotland said: "The rock crystal jar is one of the highlight objects from the Galloway Hoard. "From the beautiful rock crystal itself, originally carved in the form of a classical Corinthian column two thousand years ago, to the incredibly intricate gold decoration added hundreds of years later and including a clear inscription identifying its owner, this one object exemplifies the complex, connected and historic nature of the Galloway Hoard. "The jar was the subject of international attention when we first revealed the inscription, and it's great to be able to put it on display it for the first time in Kirkcudbright." Most of the Galloway Hoard is currently on display as part of an international tour which began earlier this showing at the South Australian Museum in Adelaide is due to close in July, as the collection moves to Melbourne for the next leg of the tour.
Yahoo
5 days ago
- Science
- Yahoo
Metal Detectorist Finds Viking Hoard With Link to Norse God
In Germany, a metal detectorist has unearthed a 1,000-year-old Viking hoard which contains more than 200 artifacts, including what may be the remnants of Thor's hammer, Live Science reported. The cache, discovered by Arjen Spießwinkel in the northern city of Haithabu, contained an assortment of items from across Europe, including pure metal ingots, Arabic and silver coins, and a whetstone for sharpening weapons and tools. But the pièce de résistance was a pendant which scientists believe could be a cross, or 'an unfinished Thor's hammer.' Birte Anspach, a spokesperson for the State Archaeological Office of Schleswig-Holstein, said that if the item does prove to be a cross, it could be "an early sign of the onset of Christianisation" in the area. Haithabu was a port city and an influential trade hub during the Viking Age, and Christianity began to spread around the ninth century when St. Ansgar, then Archbishop of Hamburg-Bremen, came to the community. "However, it was not the case that Ansgar came and suddenly everyone turned away from the old gods and followed the Christian faith," Anspach explained. "Christianisation was a long process that spanned several generations."But the mysterious item could also be an unfinished Thor's hammer, as it was common prior to the spread of Christianity to wear pendants which symbolized ancient Norse gods. In mythology, the hammer, Mjölnir, was used by Thor to battle giant deities. Researchers will conduct further analyses to determine what exactly the pendant is, as well as where and when it was constructed. "These finds offer fascinating insights into the history of the 10th century—a time of intensive trade, cultural exchange and religious change," Anspach said. "It is therefore not surprising to discover a hoard near the Schlei. Whether it is actually a hidden depot or whether there was a settlement nearby cannot be said for certain at this stage." Metal Detectorist Finds Viking Hoard With Link to Norse God first appeared on Men's Journal on Jun 18, 2025
BBC News
22-05-2025
- BBC News
Missing Herefordshire Viking treasure coin unearthed in Croydon
A coin missing from a stolen Viking hoard has been discovered for sale in Croydon, London. George Powell and Layton Davies, from Wales, dug up more than 300 silver coins and gold jewellery in a Herefordshire field in 2015. If the metal detectorists had declared the hoard, they could have been millionaires, but instead they sold it for profit and were sent to years since the treasure was discovered, more than 230 coins are still missing and police investigations are ongoing. In 2019, Powell and Davies, from Pontypridd, were convicted of stealing the hoard of gold jewels and silver coins and hiding the find. As he sent them to jail, Judge Nicholas Cartright told the jury at Worcester Crown Court that they had "stolen from the nation".Photos taken by the pair showed more than 300 coins in a freshly dug hole but only 72 of them have been believe they are in the hands of organised crime gangs across the world and now one has been found on sale in London. "We have been notified by colleagues at the Metropolitan Police that a coin, believed to be part of the Herefordshire Hoard, has surfaced for sale in Croydon," said Det Insp Ben Pearson, from West Mercia Police."Enquiries are ongoing to establish how this coin came to be in London. "Some of the hoard remains unaccounted for and we remain open-minded as to its whereabouts. "We will continue to investigate any items that come to light and may be linked." Experts believed the coins were Anglo-Saxon and to have been hidden by hoard also included a Ninth Century gold ring, a crystal rock pendant, a dragon's head bracelet and an ingot. The hoard will soon take pride of place in the Hereford Museum and Art Gallery which is having a £22m restoration. After £776,250 was raised to bring them back to the county, they are set to go on public display in a purpose-built exhibition space. "We would love to have the missing pieces of this extraordinary hoard returned to their rightful place in Herefordshire," said Damian Etheraads, from Hereford Museum.
