Swedish scientists recently discovered a 12th century tomb with treasure buried in it.
It is known that a total of 170 silver “bractate” coins were recently found by Swedish archaeologists in an archaeological excavation of an ancient tomb dating back 850 years.
Jonkoping County Museum announced the discovery in a March 27 press release translated from Swedish to English. This discovery occurred during the excavation of an ancient church in Visingso – a Swedish island.
The coins were found in the grave of a man who experts believe was between 20 and 25 years old when he died. The metal pieces were made between 1150 and 1180.
Project manager Anna Ödeén stated: “My colleague Kristina Jansson and I found two skeletons in the catacombs. We then took these two skeletons out to study more about the ancient tombs. Suddenly three silver coins appeared! We quickly realized that there were many more coins near the skeleton’s left leg.”
A total of 170 silver bractates were found. It is known that Bractate is a thin, coin-shaped piece of metal used as jewelry.
Although to some this discovery may just be about finding old metal materials, Swedish historians say the discovery has very important implications for their field.
Jonkoping County Museum said: “This discovery is exceptional, partly because there have been very few similar finds from that time period, partly because some of the coins were completely unknown until now.”
What puzzled archaeologists was that the coins were found in a Christian tomb. Burial with a pile of coins was not a common practice among Christians in the Middle Ages.
Swedish experts said the coins found date back to the 12th century. Photo: Jonkoping County Museum.
The press release explains: “It is rare for discoveries to occur in the tombs of Christians, such a custom belongs to prehistoric times and that makes this archaeological find at Visingso special. special. The reason why this man in his 20s took all these coins to his grave remains unexplained. Museum archaeologists hope to uncover more clues as they continue to study the find further.”
A Swedish coin expert told the museum that the find was “absolutely shocking”.
Eeva Jonsson – a leading expert on Swedish coins – said: “This is a shocking discovery and will change the history of medieval coins in Gotaland. It also helps shed light on a largely unknown period.”