Viking treasure hoard yields astounding finds

China Daily ^ | 06/24/2002 | Agencies via Xinhua

[cake_crumb]

Thanks for the link with the photos!

[AnalogReigns]

the Swedish government has already confiscated the treasure that was found on the farmer's property! To my way of thinking the government STOLE the treasure from its rightful owner. Damn socialists.

This policy of confiscation may hurt historical research. If I could keep everything found on my property I would have no problem loaning it to museums or historians. If I were in this farmer's place with those laws, I would have hid it and slowly auctioned it off on ebay.

It sounded unfair to me at first too, however if the government pays him fair market value for it--I don't see a problem. Same principle of emminent domain we use to build highways--only for them its over their national relics.

[AnalogReigns]

News Flash! Beneath all the silver armlets they found a portrait of the original horde owner:

[Publius6961]

The Khazars were believed to have converted to Judaism - possibly the only nation to do so - after their ruler invited Christian, Islamic and Jewish theologians to demonstrate the merits of their different faiths to his court.

When I first ran across this curious historical reference, I doubted it and considered it apocryphal.
This certaily convinces me. The Khazars eventually drifted to Islam but this was an attempt by them to not "take sides" between the two main warring powers of the time, and appease them both by adopting their "common" God.
I love this stuff too. :)

[Publius6961]

They are saying "Jews", I am thinking Israel instead.

For many generations, the vast majority of Jews were not in Israel.

[PaulKersey]

Probably the best known book on the subject of The Khazars.

[Publius6961]

Thanks for the tip; ordered and on it's way.

Previous info found in Jihad [in the West] by Paul Fregosi, Carnage and Culture, by Victor Davis Hanson, The Arab Mind by Raphael Patai... there is a lot of eye opening stuff available for the curious.

[csvset]

failing to report any buried gold, silver or copper to the police or local museums.

All the hoards belong to them. (sigh)

I visited a museum in Antalya, Turkey, which had a display of coins that had been discovered in the region. The display had a timeline that featured the different coins. Very informative, many different cultures and countries, covering many centuries. One of the largest finds was discovered by, of course, a farmer.

[LostTribe]

>...there are also other good theories as to which of the Tribes spawned which Europeans.

There are other well-founded theories that link the Scandinavians (Norse and Svensk) directly with Pre-Celts (via the Caucasus), Israelites who left Egypt by sea ~ a hundred years before the Exodus by land.

[PaulKersey]

bump to the top.

[Swordmaker]

It sounded unfair to me at first too, however if the government pays him fair market value for it--I don't see a problem. Same principle of emminent domain we use to build highways--only for them its over their national relics.

They DON'T pay fair market value... that can only be determined by an auction of willing buyers, not a monopolistic single buyer system. In fact, they usually just provide a finders stipend... miniscule compared to the actual value.

[LostTribe]

>>They are saying "Jews", I am thinking Israel instead.

>For many generations, the vast majority of Jews were not in Israel

That's not all. For many generations, the vast majority of Israelites in Israel (Palestine) were not Jews. ---ggg---.

[vikingchick]

Viking Treasure would be a great screen name. Too late for me.

[SunkenCiv]

A Blast from the Past.

Please FREEPMAIL me if you want on, off, or alter the "Gods, Graves, Glyphs" PING list --
Archaeology/Anthropology/Ancient Cultures/Artifacts/Antiquities, etc.
The GGG Digest -- Gods, Graves, Glyphs (alpha order)

[afraidfortherepublic]

I'm quite certain that this is my family's (Viking farmers and seafarers)long lost treasure. I definitely recognize my maternal ggggggggggggggggggggggggggrandmother's armlet. Is it too late to put in a claim? :~)

[gobucks]

One of the most important coins in the hoard, dating from AD 830 to 840, sheds light on a place far away: Its markings show its provenance is the kingdom of the Khazars, a realm in southern Russia between the Black and Caspian seas.

Ping ... thought you'd find this of interest.

[nopardons]

Thanks, but I'm on the GGG ping list and have already read this. But yes, it's right up my alley.

Many thanks for thinking of me, though. :-)

[gobucks]

Your welcome. :)

[nopardons]

;-)

[G Larry]

These antiquities laws gaul me...

However, since these "coins' won't fit in a Coke machine, it was probably necessary to associate the location w the find, to establish its provenance.

Hope the reward is significant!