6. 5. 2011 Viking treasure contained 200 silver jewels

The Viking treasure was found ten years ago by a prospector with a metal detector. Darren Webster unearthed 200 pieces of silver jewellery in Cumbria, north-west England. There's been a lot of interest in the hoard.

The treasure was taken up by experts at the British Museum, who said it was a treasure of national importance. "It's an incredible, lifetime find. Neither I nor the landowner know what will happen to the treasure. There is a lot of interest in it. I want everyone to know about my find," said happy finder Darren Webster.

We also wrote about the treasure here:
https://www.lovecpokladu.cz/home/archeologicke-zpravy-nejen-pro-hledace-s-detektory-kovu-16-9-29-9-2013-6066

The treasure includes bracelets decorated with snakes, which may have been worn by a wealthy Viking leader. There are also rings, brooches necklaces, as well as silver coins. Brian Randall, chairman of the Lune Valley Metal Detecting Club, said: 'We are all thrilled with the find and wish we were in Darren's shoes. No one goes looking for a cache of worthless items. It's very nice to find such a beautiful treasure at least once in your lifetime."

According to Barrow's Dock Museum curator Sabine Skae, the treasure found can help put the site among the places where important Viking heritage has been found. "Over the last decade there has been an increase in small finds and now some larger finds, it's really important to see the area in question in a new way," she said.

Stephen Oppenheimer, a professor of anthropology at Oxford University, said large hoards such as this paint a new picture of what the Vikings were doing in England.

"Discoveries like this break down long-held theories that the Vikings only came to England to plunder churches. The discovery of such treasures suggests that the Vikings settled in England," Oppenheimer believes.

According to Ian Stephens, who is in charge of tourism in County Cumbria, such finds should definitely not be underestimated. "We are hoping that once the experts at the British Museum appreciate the treasure, we can start fundraising to ensure that this findspecial find can be preserved in the local museum at Barrow's Dock, which may attract tourists," Stephens hoped.

The museum eventually paid £110,000 for the third largest Viking treasure found in the UK. Almost half of it was raised through a grant from the National Heritage Lottery Fund, with the rest coming from other funds and donations.

Sources: www.dailymail.co.uk, www.theguardian.com