indy Posted July 19, 2007 Report Share Posted July 19, 2007 :scared: Viking treasure hoard uncovered The collection contains more than 600 silver coins The treasure The most important Viking treasure find in Britain for 150 years has been unearthed by a father and son while metal detecting in Yorkshire. David and Andrew Whelan uncovered the hoard, which dates back to the 10th Century, in Harrogate in January. The pair kept their find intact and it was transferred to the British Museum to be examined by experts, who said the discovery was "phenomenal". It was declared as a treasure at a court hearing in Harrogate on Thursday. North Yorkshire coroner Geoff Fell said: "Treasure cases are always interesting, but this is one of the most exciting cases that I have ever had to rule on. "I'm delighted that such an important Viking hoard has been discovered in North Yorkshire. We are extremely proud of our Viking heritage in this area." 'Astonishing discovery' Metal detectorists David and Andrew Whelan, who uncovered the treasures, said the find was a "thing of dreams". The pair, from Leeds, said the hoard was worth about ?750,000 as a conservative estimate. They told the BBC News website: "We've been metal detecting for about five years; we do it on Saturdays as a hobby. "We ended up in this particular field, we got a really strong signal from the detector... Eventually we found this cup containing the coins and told the antiquity authority. "We were astonished when we finally discovered what it contained." The ancient objects come from as far afield as Afghanistan in the East and Ireland in the West, as well as Russia, Scandinavia and continental Europe. The hoard contains 617 silver coins and 65 other objects, including a gold arm-ring and a gilt silver vessel. Dr Jonathan Williams, keeper of prehistory in Europe at the British Museum, said: "[The cup] is beautifully decorated and was made in France or Germany at around AD900. "It is fantastically rare - there are only a handful of others known around the world. It will be stunning when it is fully conserved." Turbulent times Most of the smaller objects were extremely well preserved as they had been hidden inside the vessel, which was protected by a lead container. The British Museum said the coins included several new or rare types, which provide valuable new information about the history of England in the early 10th Century, as well as Yorkshire's wider cultural contacts in the period. It was probably buried for safety by a wealthy Viking leader during the unrest following the conquest of the Viking kingdom of Northumbria in AD927. A spokeswoman for the museum said: "The size and quality of the hoard is remarkable, making it the most important find of its type in Britain for over 150 years." The find will now be valued for the Department of Culture, Media and Sport by the Independent Treasure Valuation Committee. Dr Williams said that the British Museum and the York Museums Trust would be looking to raise the funds to purchase the collection so it could eventually go on public display. The proceeds would be split between the finders and the landowners. :spin: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Peter T Posted July 19, 2007 Report Share Posted July 19, 2007 Thank you James. Interesting stuff. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
indy Posted July 20, 2007 Author Report Share Posted July 20, 2007 A great discovery Peter and one that will change our understanding of the wealth of Viking Britain Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
francesd Posted July 20, 2007 Report Share Posted July 20, 2007 good discovery, but the financial motivation is worrying as usual...lets not pretend that this is not what motivates most metal detectorists, and not the knowledge it might give us. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
indy Posted July 20, 2007 Author Report Share Posted July 20, 2007 Totally disagree !! A blinkered response. While some may be motivated by the financial side many are not. You should check out the Stockton Heath films where you will find Detectorist Colin Sharratt who was heavily involved with the Roman dig and working for the archaeology team for the past ten years. His input has been well documented and many important metalwork artefacts recovered. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
francesd Posted July 20, 2007 Report Share Posted July 20, 2007 but your own rolling smiley face suggests otherwise Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Peter T Posted July 20, 2007 Report Share Posted July 20, 2007 Originally posted by francesd: good discovery, but the financial motivation is worrying as usual...lets not pretend that this is not what motivates most metal detectorists, and not the knowledge it might give us. MIAOW! WHY can't it be both? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Eagle Posted July 20, 2007 Report Share Posted July 20, 2007 but the financial motivation is worrying as usual ; what a crass statement and why 'as usual'? Is there a particular reason that you find it worrying? [ 20.07.2007, 19:18: Message edited by: Eagle ] Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Peter T Posted July 20, 2007 Report Share Posted July 20, 2007 Without these people, we wouldn't have a clue as to the past. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mary Posted July 21, 2007 Report Share Posted July 21, 2007 Also if a profit is collected - it makes the findings even better, I would think. It takes a lot of time and effort to get where the do! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
francesd Posted July 23, 2007 Report Share Posted July 23, 2007 sorry, totally disagree - yes, some good things get found, but how many archeological sites have been ruined by people who don't understand stratigraphy rummaging about with their spades? Lots. It won't make it go away, and there are lots of very responsible people out there who work collaboratively really well. I've seen some horrendous damage though, by some pretty unscrpulous types. The financial reward is a big part of this activity, like it or not...(not to mention the illegality, in some cases). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
indy Posted July 23, 2007 Author Report Share Posted July 23, 2007 Frances, have we met?? I think I know who you are..... certain clues in your comments lead me to believe you are better known in the archaeological world than you are letting on?? Your constant attack on detecting reminds me of someone well known to our tv screens who is against metal detecting and who I have met..... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mary Posted July 23, 2007 Report Share Posted July 23, 2007 :confused: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
indy Posted July 23, 2007 Author Report Share Posted July 23, 2007 Mary, don't be confused all will become clear soon... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Peter T Posted July 23, 2007 Report Share Posted July 23, 2007 Originally posted by francesd: sorry, totally disagree - yes, some good things get found, but how many archeological sites have been ruined by people who don't understand stratigraphy rummaging about with their spades? Lots. It won't make it go away, and there are lots of very responsible people out there who work collaboratively really well. I've seen some horrendous damage though, by some pretty unscrpulous types. The financial reward is a big part of this activity, like it or not...(not to mention the illegality, in some cases). And so do bulldozers and apartment blocks. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
francesd Posted July 24, 2007 Report Share Posted July 24, 2007 no we've never met! I used to work with some archaeologists and metal detecting used to crop up alot as something that can be a problem. Just my opinion. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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