1,100-year-old Viking silver hoard discovered in Denmark during terrace work

A man preparing the ground for a terrace in Denmark made an extraordinary discovery when his digging tool struck something buried with an unusual sound. Searching by hand, he found silver pieces that led to a Viking hoard weighing about 18.5 kilograms.

The find, discovered in the Rebild area, contains nearly 700 objects and is believed to be about 1,100 years old. Nordjyske Museer describes it as the largest Viking Age silver discovery made so far in Denmark, almost three times heavier than the country’s previous major hoard from the period.

The collection includes ingots, jewelry, bracelets, silver fragments and 47 coins, some whole and others broken. A small Thor’s hammer was also found, linking the hoard to the religious and mythological world of the Vikings. About 320 objects, weighing 6.4 kilograms, remained inside a clay vessel, while other pieces had been scattered through the soil.

The coins offer evidence of long-distance trade. They include Anglo-Saxon examples and coins from the Islamic world. Two were issued during the reign of Edward the Elder, who ruled England from 899 to 924, helping researchers date the hoard to the 10th century.

One silver bar bears a runic inscription provisionally read as “hutu”. Researchers have not determined whether it represents a name or a mark identifying the object’s owner. Archaeologist Torben Sarauw compared the find to discovering a Viking Age “safe”. The reason it was buried, and why its owner never returned, remains unknown. Denmark’s National Museum will analyze and assess the hoard, whose official value has not yet been stated.

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