A metal detector enthusiast has uncovered Finland’s largest known Viking-era silver hoard in Sysmä, with thousands of coins and other silver objects found buried at the site. Kalle Lappinen discovered on 3 September after his detector picked up an unusually large number of signals. The hoard contains around 4.5 kilograms of silver and was buried in two birch-bark containers placed about 12 metres apart, just under half a metre below the ground between stones. The coins have not yet been cleaned or separated, so their exact number and weight are still unknown. Researchers will also need to determine their precise age. Yle (Finland’s national public broadcasting company) reports that the discovery is Finland’s largest known late Iron Age coin hoard.
How did a metal detectorist uncover Finland’s largest Viking-era silver hoard
Kalle Lappinen discovered the hoard while metal detecting in Sysmä on 3 September. Thousands of silver coins were found on the site, making the discovery Finland’s largest known Viking-era silver hoard. Archaeologist Esko Tikkala of the Lahti City Museums examined the discovery the following day. The museum described it as Finland’s largest known Late Iron Age coin hoard. It also included a silver bracelet and other silver objects. The silver weighs about 4.5 kilograms. The coins have not been cleaned or separated. Their exact number and weight will be confirmed later, while research will also establish the hoard’s precise age.
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Thousands of coins were buried in two birch-bark containers
The silver was found in two separate deposits rather than scattered through the soil. The objects had been placed in containers made from birch bark and buried between stones, just under half a metre below the ground. The two containers were about 12 metres apart. They held thousands of silver coins, along with a bracelet and other silver objects. Together, the silver weighs around 4.5 kilograms. However, the exact number of coins is not yet known because they have not been cleaned or separated. Further examination will establish their precise number and weight, which gives researchers a clearer picture of the scale of the hoard.
What makes the Sysmä discovery larger than Finland’s previous Viking-era hoard
The discovery is significant because it is the largest known coin hoard from Finland dating to the Late Iron Age. Before the Sysmä find, the largest known Viking-era coin hoard came from Nousiainen. That earlier hoard weighed just over two kilograms and contained around 1,700 coins. The new hoard is heavier, although its exact coin count is still unknown. The comparison shows why the Sysmä discovery is important. Its silver weight has surpassed the previous record. Once the coins are cleaned and separated, researchers will determine the number of pieces.
What made the signals from Lappinen’s metal detector so surprising
The discovery began when Lappinen’s metal detector picked up a large number of signals. He initially found it hard to believe what he was seeing because most signals turn out to be rubbish or metal deposits. Lappinen estimates that about 99% of his finds fall into these categories. This time, however, the signals led him to thousands of silver coins, a bracelet and other silver objects. The finding has been identified as Finland’s largest known Late Iron Age coin hoard and its largest known Viking-era silver hoard. The two birch-bark containers also add to the discovery. Researchers will now examine the coins and other objects to determine more about the hoard.
