Archaeologists uncover a hoard of 12th-century coin-like objects in Swedish church

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More than 170 silver coin-like objects, or bracteates, were discovered in a grave of a Christian church in Sweden.

23:28, Tue, Apr 23, 2024 | UPDATED: 23:29, Tue, Apr 23, 2024

More than 170 silver bracteates were discovered in a grave of a Christian church in Sweden (Image: Jönköping County Museum )

Archaeologists have exacavated a 12th-century grave and buried treasure in a Christian church in a Swedish island.

The coin-like items were discovered in a grave of a person believed by experts to be between 20 and 25 years old when he passed away, FOX News reported, citing a press release by the Jönköping County Museum.

The metal objects, found at the Brahekyrkan church in Visingsö, were believed to have been dated between 1150 and 1180.

“My colleague Kristina Jansson and I found two skeletons in the shaft where the wires were to be laid,” project manager Anna Ödéen told FOX News in a statement.

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Archaeologists are surprised by the fact that the coins were found in a Christian church (Image: Jönköping County Museum)

“We cleaned out the bones from the buried to get an idea of what the graves looked like.”

“All of a sudden three silver coins appeared! We soon realized that many more were lying close to the buried person’s left foot.”

A total of 170 silver bracteate were found at the site, according to FOX News.

Bracteates are thin, gold, and disk-shaped pendants that are often used as jewelry in early Scandinavian periods.

The manufacture of the metal were believed to have originated with the Roman and Byzantine coins and medallions.

“The find is very special, partly because there are few similar finds from the time period, partly because some of the coins are completely unknown from before,” the museum told FOX News.

“It is rare that finds are made in Christian graves, that custom belongs to prehistoric times and that makes the Visingsö find special.

“Why this man in his 20s brought all these coins to the grave is not yet known.”

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