According to a press release from the North Jutland Museums Authority (Nordjyske Museer), two sets of Viking treasure dating back to around 980 AD, or about a thousand years ago, were found in the town of Bramslev near Horbro in Jutland.
The two sets of treasure together contain about 300 pieces of silver, 50 of which are Danish, German and Arab coins. The treasures were discovered in a Viking building near the Viking fortress of Fyrkat, built by Harald Blåtand.
Torben Trier Christensen, an expert at the Museums Authority, believes that this discovery is very exciting, and “it could tell us many new details about society in the time of Harald Blåtand. In this case, the connection to Verkat and the burial only eight kilometers away is very exciting,” according to Ritsau.
The coins may be associated with Harald Blåtand
The press release states that members of the Nordjysk Detektorforening found a number of silver coins in a field eight kilometers from Fyrkat. According to the Museums Authority, the treasures were found less than 50 meters away. Archaeologists find it particularly interesting that the coins have a cross shape among the Danish coins, as they were made during Harald Blåtand’s attempt to Christianize the Danes.
The expert from the authority added that the places where these treasures are buried are not ordinary rural areas, but rather people of high rank who lived in these buildings, and they are the only ones who were able to access such large quantities of silver.
Given the proximity of the treasure burial site to Fyrkat, the expert believes that the people who buried the treasure may have a direct connection to Harald Blåtand's associates at the pirate castle.
The Danish Castles and Culture Agency is providing 400,000 Danish kroner in support for the archaeological investigations, which will continue until the autumn. The museum authority does not believe this will lead to the discovery of other silver treasures, so the aim will be to learn more about the buildings found near the Viking castle.
