An amateur treasure hunter has recently discovered a collection of Viking treasures worth thousands of pounds in the northern Isle of Man. The stunning collection of over 1,000-year-old treasures includes a Gold arm ring and a silver brooch dating back to 950 AD.
An amateur treasure hunter recently discovered an extremely rare collection of Viking treasures believed to be more than 1,000 years old in a field on the Isle of Man.
The Manx National Heritage Museum said in a statement that the newly unearthed treasure includes a rare gold arm ring, a relatively large silver brooch and an equally rare solid gold armband. It is a major find, with the treasures dating back to 950 AD and estimated to be worth thousands of pounds.
Allison Fox, the museum’s curator of archaeology, said: “These armlets, brooches and armbands show that their owners were of high social status and had substantial wealth. To find even one of them would be an important discovery. And the fact that so many were found in one place this Time suggests that the people who buried them here were very wealthy and were probably facing serious threats at the time.”
The newly unearthed treasure includes a rare gold arm ring, a relatively large silver brooch and a solid gold armlet, also extremely rare. (Courtesy of the National Museum of Manx Antiquities)
She added that the solid gold armlet found is very rare because silver was a much more commonly traded commodity in the Viking Age, while gold was not as common. It is estimated that gold was worth 10 times as much as silver, and the arm ring may be worth as much as 900 silver coins.
Metal detectorist and retired police officer Kath Giles found the jewelry on a personal farm in the north of the Isle of Man last December, but it has only now been recognised as an official treasure and will go on display at the Isle of Man National Heritage Museum in Douglas, Isle of Man.
Lynsey Clague, the museum’s public relations manager, told Giles that he moved to the Isle of Man after retiring and has since taken up amateur treasure hunting. It’s worth noting that this is Giles’ “third big find” since moving to the island.
Giles’ previous Bronze Age axe and sword finds were donated to the Isle of Man National Heritage Museum, Clegg added.
The newly unearthed treasure includes a rare gold arm ring, a relatively large silver brooch and a solid gold armband, also extremely rare. (Courtesy of the National Museum of Manx Antiquities)
Ms. Giles, an amateur connoisseur, said, “I knew as soon as I saw these that they had extraordinary significance, which was very exciting. I’m so glad I found these artifacts that are so important and so beautiful.”
Finds of archaeological interest on the Isle of Man must be reported to the National Museum of Manx Antiquities within two weeks. If the items are legally classified as treasures then they will belong to the state, although the finder may also receive a reward.
The exact value of the jewels has not yet been determined, but similar Viking jewels are worth about £1,500 (about $2,100) each. a slightly larger Viking treasure worth £110,000 (about $150,000) was found in Lancashire in 2011.
The Isle of Man, an offshore island located between the islands of Great Britain and Ireland, is known to be a crown dependency of the British Crown and is not legally part of the United Kingdom (UK) in the strictest sense of the word. The island has a long history of self-government, having had its own parliament as early as the 10th century, with Douglas as its capital.
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