11th Century Sacrificial Treasure Found in Jõgeva County
A rare thousand-year-old sacrificial treasure was found by an anonymous hobbyist at a Jõgeva county wetland and is currently being prepped for preserving at the Tallinn University's History Institute.
The find, made in May and revealed now, consisted of 21 coins and multiple iron ornaments in good condition. The coins are of Arabic, Byzantine, Germanic and Sigtuna origin. Based on their age, the offering could have been made around the year 1080. In addition to the ornaments and coins, a horse was also sacrificed, ETV reported.
“This sacrificial treasure is very important to Estonia, as until now we didn't have a singe proof of treasure sacrificed to the mire during the late Viking Era,” History Institute's Mauri Kiudsoo said.
Many of the found ornaments were broken into pieces, which back then was a customary thing to do before an offering. During the time period, vibrant trade took place in the Baltic Sea region. According to historians, the total value of the offering back then was half a horse or a spear.
Back in modern times, the hobbyist who found the treasure could get a finder's fee of up to 100 percent of the rare find's full value.