[MR] History Blog: Viking Silver Hoards

[Garth Groff and Sally Sanford]

Noble Friends, Especially Vikings:

This week the History Blog reported on two recently discovered silver
hoards, one in Norway and the second in Sweden.

The Norwegian hoard was found at Stjørdal. It consists of 44 pieces of
"hacked" silver and two intact finger rings. Hacked silver means pieces of
silver broken off from larger items to be used as currency. The hoard is
believed to be from around 900 CE, and a number of the fragments are from
bangles of a style popular in Denmark. Researchers think the hoard may have
belonged to a merchant, possibly from Denmark.

More on the Stjørdal hoard is at
http://www.thehistoryblog.com/archives/65510 .

The Swedish hoard was found at Täby near Stockholm. It was discovered under
the floor of what had been a Viking house dating to about 1,000 CE. The
silver objects are "unhacked", meaning they are intact, though the 12 coins
in the hoard were perforated to hang as pendants. The other pieces include
eight torque neck rings. Nearly all the pieces are in pristine condition.

The objects, and a neat video of their recovery, are at
http://www.thehistoryblog.com/archives/65519 .

Yours Aye,


Lord Mungo Napier, Laird of Mallard Lodge  🦆