Viking hoard worth over £10,000 unearthed in Furness countryside

[Neil]

 
A NOVICE metal detectorist has chanced upon a Viking treasure hoard dating back more than 1,000 years on the Furness peninsula.

The man who made the find, which is expected to be valued at tens of thousands of pounds, was on one of his first outings after only recently taking up the hobby.

Dot Boughton, Cumbria’s portable antiquities finds liaison officer, joked: “It is a story that other detectorists, who have been doing it for 30 years, really did not want to hear.”

Unable to believe what he had found, the man, who does not want to be named, contacted Mrs Boughton who said she ‘ran up and down the stairs’ with excitement on hearing the news.

“When the call came about the hoard it was the kind of day you only ever dream of,” she said.

“As the detectorist handed the hoard over, he was shaking.

Mrs Boughton said it seemed the hoard of 92 silver coins and artefacts, dating from 895AD and 960AD, had been hidden by someone who intended to come back for them, but never did.”

The hoard was found scattered just a foot beneath the surface on farmland near Dalton-in-Furness.

Among the hoard were ingots and one near-complete silver bracelet, plus a pair of Arabic dirham coins – silver currency which circulated in 10th Century Europe.

It is thought the silver was put in the ground around 955 AD when the Vikings had established footholds in the north of England.

Until now, there has been no concrete proof of Viking settlement in Furness and only place names such as Barrow, Yarlside, Roa and Ormsgill, gave an insight into the heritage of the region.

“Even on a national scale, you do not get a find of this magnitude very often,” added Mrs Boughton.

Sabine Skae, curator at The Dock Museum, Barrow, said the find would shortly be declared treasure and could be on display soon.

“The British Museum is very keen for it to be displayed here,” she said. “I am very hopeful we would raise the funds that would be needed in order to ensure the find is available for people to see whenever they like.”

Dr Gareth Williams, Viking expert at the British Museum, said: “On the basis of the information and photographs that I have seen so far, this is a fascinating hoard.”

Barrow and Furness MP John Woodcock hailed the discovery as an important development for the area both in terms of its historical significance and for the capacity it holds in boosting tourism.

“The Furness peninsula is off the beaten track, but it is steeped in history,” he said.

[Jassy]

wow! find of a lifetime!! cracking!

[digger]

Stuff of dreams. We all live in hope, and NOT just on monetery value.

[diggerdave1]

 

[dances with badgers]

lucky jammie