The treasure includes coins depicting King Cnut I Eriksson and other valuable artifacts
A Swedish fisherman looking for worms for fishing suddenly discovered a treasure instead of bait. In the copper cauldron, he found thousands of silver coins, beads, rings and pendants, most dating from the 12th century. The total weight of the discovery was about 6 kg.
Of particular interest are coins bearing the name and image of the Swedish king Knut I Eriksson, who ruled from 1173 to 1195. According to the director of the Stockholm Museum of the Middle Ages, Lin Annerbeck, during times of political unrest, many citizens hid their valuables underground.
The preservation of the artifacts turned out to be very good despite being underground for centuries. On coins with uneven edges, relief designs are clearly visible. In addition to the coins bearing the name KANUTUS, there are also examples with images of medieval bishops and an engraving that according to preliminary assessments may depict a church.
According to antiquities collector Sofia Andersson from the administrative council, the exact number of coins has not yet been determined, but there may be around 20 thousand. This discovery is of great significance for Swedish archeology as it is the only medieval treasure of its kind discovered in the vicinity of Stockholm.
Archaeologists continue to study the treasure and its exact location is not being disclosed to protect the object from “black diggers”. The National Heritage Committee will decide whether the fishermen will receive compensation for donating the treasure to the state.
