I unearthed Viking treasure
AMATEUR treasure hunter Darren Webster unearthed the find of a lifetime after his metal detector picked up an historic Viking hoard.
Darren could barely believe his luck when he dug up a casket containing 200 pieces of silver jewellery, coins and ingots.
Now experts at the British Museum are studying the 1,000-year-old artefacts, which are considered to be of national significance.
Darren, who runs a tile company, found the treasure on a weekly expedition to an undisclosed site on the border of Cumbria and Lancashire.
The father-of-three said: “It’s so exciting. Neither I nor the landowner know what will happen with it but there has been a lot of interest.”
Darren, of Carnforth, Lancs, explained how he got a good signal on his detector so dug down about 18 inches. He then saw a lead pot. He said: “It was slightly open. I could see all the coins and jewellery inside. It was a great feeling.”
The haul included bracelets elaborately engraved with serpents – which could have been worn by a wealthy Viking leader – along with rings and a stash of coins.
It’s so exciting. Neither I nor the landowner know what will happen with it but there has been a lot of interest.
Archaeologist Steve Dickinson said the hoard was “extremely important nationally”.
He added: “Because of its size and detail this is particularly exciting.”
The British Museum will reveal its findings on the treasure in December. But a spokesman confirmed the discovery was “a significant Viking hoard”.