Stockholm County Administrative BoardA small slice of the silver hoard found in the Stockholm area. Just outside of Stockholm, a fisherman set out with a shovel and a goal to dig up some worms at his summer home. Instead, he uncovered a copper cauldron and it waspacked with tens of thousands of treasures from the early Middle Ages. An unprecedented find in Swedish history, the hoard is filled with silver objects and other valuables from the 12th century, including pearls, pendants, jewelry, and an estimated 20,000 coins. Discovering The Silver Hoard In StockholmAccording to a press release from the Stockholm County Administrative Board, the silver hoard was discovered by a private individual digging for worms at his summer home near Stockholm. While digging, the man unearthed a copper cauldron stuffed with 13 pounds of pearls, rings, pendants, and upwards of 20,000 silver coins. This is probably one of the largest silver treasures from the early Middle Ages that has been found in Sweden, Sofia Andersson, an antiquarian at the County Administrative Board in Stockholm, remarked. Archaeologists who responded to the scene found that most of the objects in the cauldron were well preserved, even if the cauldron itself unfortunately deteriorated during its centuries underground. And while the coins are still being counted, most of them appear to be from the 12th century.Stockholm County Administrative BoardMost of the coins date to the 12th century. Some of the coins are imprinted with the word KANUTUS (Knut in Latin) and seemingly come from the era of Knut Eriksson, the king of Sweden from 1173 until 1195 or 1196. Others are rare bishop coins, which were minted during the Middle Ages for a bishop. The coins in this hoard show a bishop holding a crozier, or hooked staff, in his right hand.It is completely unique, we have no other medieval treasures from Stockholm, Lin Annerbck, the director of Stockholms Medieval Museum, told Swedish media. And then it seems to be extremely large too. So it is very exciting.Indeed, the hoard seems to belong to a fascinating and volatile period of Swedish history.Life In Sweden In The 12th CenturyThe 12th century was a tumultuous time in Swedish history. The country of Sweden as we know it today was just coming into existence as various tiny kingdoms began to unite. But it was also a violent time. Wars between kingdoms were common, and many Swedes were focused on conquering their neighbor, Finland. Meanwhile, the influence of Christianity was growing more powerful, even as many Swedes continued to quietly worship Norse gods. Historians suspect that someone hid the silver hoard during these troubled times. [W]e believe that many hid treasures like this to keep them in the familys possession, Annerbck explained. The fact that the silver is mixed with pearls and other things makes it seem like its someones wealth that has been hidden away.Public DomainKing Knut Eriksson, the 12th-century ruler referenced on many of the coins from the hoard.The hoard is thus an exciting collection of historical artifacts from a turbulent time in Swedens past that scholars are eager to study. Stockholm did not exist as a city when this treasure was probably buried at the end of the 12th century, Annerbck remarked. So this is also a very exciting part of Stockholms medieval history. It means so much that the museums get this knowledge so we can build on it It can provide lots of exciting information. It can give us new knowledge about this place during the time it was excavated. If there are foreign coins, it indicates trade with different parts of the world.For now, the exact location of where the silver treasure was found is being kept secret. But the hoard itself, packed with tens of thousands of medieval objects, will surely shine light on Swedish history in the Middle Ages. After reading about the huge hoard of silver treasure that was found in Sweden by total chance, discover the wild story of the Viking berserkers, the fierce warriors who ingested hallucinogens before going to battle. Or, go inside the surprising truth of Viking helmets, which probably didnt have wings despite their depictions in popular culture. The post A Fisherman In Sweden Stumbled Upon A Cauldron Filled With 20,000 Medieval Coins While Digging For Worms appeared first on All That's Interesting.