Stockholm County Administrative Board
The treasure includes thousands of silver coins and jewels and was buried around the end of the 12th century, when the city of Stockholm had not yet been officially founded.
A man searching for earthworms near his home on the outskirts of Stockholm came across one of the greatest medieval treasures ever found in Sweden — a cache of up to 20,000 silver coins mixed with pearls, pendants and rings, dating back almost 900 years.
According to the Stockholm County Administrative Board, the treasure weighs about 6 kilos and was discovered inside a copper cauldron, which is corroded. Archaeologists now examining the discovery say it probably dates back to the 12th century, during the reign of King Knut Eriksson (1173-1195).
“This is probably one of the largest silver hoards from the early Middle Ages ever found in Sweden,” said Sofia Andersson, antiquarian at the County Administrative Board. “We still don’t know exactly how many coins there are, but there could be more than 20 thousand.”
Preliminary studies show that most of the coins bear the Latin inscription KANUTUS, a reference to King Knut. Among them are several rare “episcopal coins”, minted by powerful bishops who held spiritual and political authority. These coins feature a bishop holding a crosier, a ceremonial staff that symbolizes leadership of the Church.
Experts say the discovery is notable not only for its size, but also for its historical context. “It’s completely unique; we have no other medieval treasures from Stockholm,” said Lin Annerbäck, director of the Stockholm Medieval Museum, in an interview with the Swedish newspaper. “And it also appears to be extremely large. So it’s very exciting.”
At the time the treasure was buried, around the end of the 12th century, Stockholm did not yet exist. The city was officially founded in 1252more than half a century later. Historians believe the treasure may have been hidden during a period of unrest as Sweden sought to expand into Finland.
“Therefore, we believe that many hid treasures like this to keep them in the family’s possession“, explained Annerbäck. “The fact that the silver is mixed with pearls and other things makes it look like it is someone’s wealth that has been hidden.”
Under Swedish law, such findings must be reported to the State. The man who found the treasure did exactly that and could receive compensation once the National Heritage Council assesses the discovery.
For now, researchers are cataloging and cleaning the artifacts, in a meticulous process that could take months. But even at this early stage, experts say the discovery offers a rare window into Sweden’s medieval past.
