Swedish scientists have recently uncovered a 12th-century tomb filled with a hidden treasure trove. In total, 170 silver “bractate” coins were discovered by Swedish archaeologists during the excavation of an 850-year-old tomb.
The Jönköping County Museum announced this remarkable find in a press release on March 27, translated from Swedish to English. The discovery occurred during the excavation of a tomb in an ancient church on Visingsö, an island in Sweden.
The coins were found in the grave of a man believed to have been between 20 and 25 years old at the time of his death. The silver pieces date from 1150 to 1180.
Archaeologists are still puzzled as to why these coins were found in a Christian grave.
Anna Ödéen, the project director, stated, “My colleague Kristina Jansson and I found two skeletons in the crypt. We then removed the two skeletons for further study of the ancient tombs. Suddenly, three silver coins appeared! We quickly realized there were many more coins near the left foot of the skeleton.”
In total, 170 silver bractates were found. Bractates are thin, coin-shaped metal pieces used as jewelry.
While some might see this as merely the discovery of old metal items, Swedish historians assert that this find is highly significant for their field.
The Jönköping County Museum noted, “This discovery is very special, partly because there are very few similar finds from that period, and partly because some of the coins were previously unknown.”
What baffles archaeologists is the presence of these coins in a Christian grave. Burying the dead with a large number of coins was not a common practice among medieval Christians. The press release explained, “It is rare for such findings to occur in the graves of Christians; this custom belongs to prehistoric times and makes the excavation at Visingsö particularly unique. The reason why this young man, around 20 years old, was buried with all these coins remains a mystery. Museum archaeologists hope to uncover more clues as they continue to delve deeper into this discovery.”
A Swedish coin expert described the find as “absolutely shocking.”
Eeva Jonsson, a leading expert on Swedish coins, remarked, “This is a groundbreaking discovery that will rewrite the history of medieval coinage in Götaland. It also sheds light on a period that is largely unknown.”
