Although people alive at the time probably didn’t appreciate the benefits to posterity of their contemporary troubles and wars, their efforts to hide and preserve those objects they considered to be of value, have inadvertently become their gift, a legacy of artifacts that have come down through the years, enabling us in many cases to appreciate the true extent of skills in manufacture and design that existed in the past.
The most important Viking treasure find in Britain for 150 years has been unearthed by a father and son while metal detecting in Yorkshire... 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.
As we can see, finds like these also bear testament to the wide network of trade and commerce that existed across the world at 927 AD, although we know from prehistory that many objects and materials were traded across distances of thousands of miles for some considerable time before the Vikings graced these shores with their presence. (TJ)
see also: ‘Becalmed Viking Ship Takes A Tow‘ (update on the ‘Sea Stallion’ project)