The posting below “Discovery of Viking-Era Sasanian and Arab-Sasanian Coins in Sweden” was originally posted in the CAIS venue hosted by Shapour Suren-Pahlav.
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Swedish archaeologists say they have uncovered a horde of Viking-era silver coins near Stockholm’s Arlanda international airport in the country’s Uppland region.
Swedish National Heritage Board (SNHB), announced the find as about 450 silver coins — representing the largest collection of coins from the era found in the region during the modern age, Swedish news agency TT reported Friday.
A handful of Sasanian and Arab-Sasanian silver coins found by brothers Arvid, left, and Edvin Sandborg, right, on the Swedish island of Gotland Oct. 30, 2006. The 1,100 coins, along with several silver bracelets, formed a three kilo (6.6 lbs) Viking treasure trove that the brothers found buried on a neighbor’s propertyAccording to SNHB the coins are dated between 500 CE to 840 CE. The earliest coins are of Sasanian-Iran and later ones are Islamic Arab-Sasanian coins which were minted in Baghdad, Damascus and North Africa. The hoard appear to have been buried around 850 CE near a grave that is thought to be about 1,000 years older than the finds and no human remains were found. According to Karin Beckman-Thoor, an archaeologist with SNHB, Vikings that buried the hoard thought they may be guarded by the ancestral souls (Source: CAIS).
In July 1999 and November 2006 over 1,100 similar coins belonging to Sasanian and Arab-Sasanian periods were discovered in Swedish island of Gotland.
A number of news agencies including the BBC have reported the find as 470 purely Arab coins dated between 7th and 9th century CE.
Close-up of Sassanian coins discovered in Sweden (Source: CAIS).
