Father and son treasure hunters discover Viking treasure worth £1m
19th July 2007
Daily Mail
A £1 million collection of Viking artefacts, discovered by a father and son team of amateur treasure-hunters using metal detectors, is set to be unveiled at the British Museum.
Experts say the artefacts, including hundreds of silver coins, ornaments and a spectacular gilt silver vessel, are the most important Viking hoard discovered in Britain in the last 150 years.
The most important Viking hoard in the last 150 years was discovered on farmland in Yorkshire
The collection is expected to be officially declared treasure today, paving the way for the museum to buy it and put it on public display.
The pieces were found in January, on farmland in North Yorkshire, by father and son David and Andrew Whelan. They alerted the authorities and experts from the British Museum were called in to excavate the site.
The hoard's existence has been kept a secret until now as the authorities decided whether it could formally be declared treasure.
The coroner for North Yorkshire is expected to make that announcement today, meaning Mr Whelan, 60, and his 35-year-old son will be entitled to a 50 per cent share of its sale price. The landowner will get the other half.
Culture minister Margaret Hodge said today: "Finds such as this are invaluable in teaching us about our history. I commend David and Andrew Whelan for their prompt and responsible reporting of this hugely significant find, which will enrich our understanding of the Vikings."
The treasure includes 617 silver coins, complete ornaments and ingots.
Experts say it illustrates the diversity of cultural contacts in the medieval world, with some of objects coming from as far as Afghanistan in the east and Ireland in the west, as well as Russia, Scandinavia and continental Europe.
The single most important piece is the gilt silver vessel, made in what is now France in the ninth century. It was intended for use in church services and was possibly either looted from a monastery by Vikings or given to them in tribute.
Most of the smaller objects were hidden inside this vessel, which was itself protected by some form of lead container. As a result, the pieces were extremely well-preserved.
The treasure was probably buried for safekeeping by a wealthy Viking leader during the unrest that followed the conquest of the Viking kingdom of Northumbria (now mostly constituting the northern English county of Northumberland) in AD 927 by the Anglo-Saxon king Athelstan (it then became an Anglo-Saxon kingdom again as it was originally).
Although the hoard is thought to be worth up to £1 million it will need to be valued by the Independent Treasure Valuation Committee.
Meanwhile, the British Museum, in conjunction with the York Museum Trust and Harrogate council, will need to raise the funds to buy it and put it on show.
dailymail.co.uk
19th July 2007
Daily Mail
A £1 million collection of Viking artefacts, discovered by a father and son team of amateur treasure-hunters using metal detectors, is set to be unveiled at the British Museum.
Experts say the artefacts, including hundreds of silver coins, ornaments and a spectacular gilt silver vessel, are the most important Viking hoard discovered in Britain in the last 150 years.
The most important Viking hoard in the last 150 years was discovered on farmland in Yorkshire
The collection is expected to be officially declared treasure today, paving the way for the museum to buy it and put it on public display.
The pieces were found in January, on farmland in North Yorkshire, by father and son David and Andrew Whelan. They alerted the authorities and experts from the British Museum were called in to excavate the site.
The hoard's existence has been kept a secret until now as the authorities decided whether it could formally be declared treasure.
The coroner for North Yorkshire is expected to make that announcement today, meaning Mr Whelan, 60, and his 35-year-old son will be entitled to a 50 per cent share of its sale price. The landowner will get the other half.
Culture minister Margaret Hodge said today: "Finds such as this are invaluable in teaching us about our history. I commend David and Andrew Whelan for their prompt and responsible reporting of this hugely significant find, which will enrich our understanding of the Vikings."
The treasure includes 617 silver coins, complete ornaments and ingots.
Experts say it illustrates the diversity of cultural contacts in the medieval world, with some of objects coming from as far as Afghanistan in the east and Ireland in the west, as well as Russia, Scandinavia and continental Europe.
The single most important piece is the gilt silver vessel, made in what is now France in the ninth century. It was intended for use in church services and was possibly either looted from a monastery by Vikings or given to them in tribute.
Most of the smaller objects were hidden inside this vessel, which was itself protected by some form of lead container. As a result, the pieces were extremely well-preserved.
The treasure was probably buried for safekeeping by a wealthy Viking leader during the unrest that followed the conquest of the Viking kingdom of Northumbria (now mostly constituting the northern English county of Northumberland) in AD 927 by the Anglo-Saxon king Athelstan (it then became an Anglo-Saxon kingdom again as it was originally).
Although the hoard is thought to be worth up to £1 million it will need to be valued by the Independent Treasure Valuation Committee.
Meanwhile, the British Museum, in conjunction with the York Museum Trust and Harrogate council, will need to raise the funds to buy it and put it on show.
dailymail.co.uk
