Archaeology breakthrough as hoard of 300 coins from the 11th Century discovered

By Emily Wright, World News Reporter

A team or archaeologists have unearthed a huge hoard of silver coins in Germany. (Image: LDA/ Getty)

A forest restoration project near Lübs, a village 22 miles from Magdeburg in Saxony-Anhalt, Germany, has unearthed an exciting hoard dating from the 11th century. A team of archaeologists have discovered a collection of nearly 300 silver coins.

The coins were found at a depth of 35cm in an area being prepared for tree planting east of the Elbe River. As the region is well known to local heritage enthusiasts and detectorist groups, volunteers from the State Office for Monument Preservation and Archaeology of Saxony-Anhalt, who made the discovery, attended the restoration project. They discovered the flash of silver during a fieldwalking inspection.

272 coins, dating from the 11th century were originally stored in a ceramic vessel. (Image: LDA)

When inspected further, the glint was revealed to be a cluster of coins packed into a 30 cm-wide discoloured patch of earth.

Fragments of broken ceramics indicate that 272 coins—comprising 196 denarii, 65 high-rimmed pfennigs and 12 high-rimmed obols—were originally stored in a ceramic vessel. 

Textile fibres discovered at the bottom of the cluster also suggest that the coins were either wrapped in a woven cloth or that the textile served as a lining for the ceramic vessel.

The coins were found in Lübs, a village 22 miles from Magdeburg in Germany. (Image: Getty)

Among the oldest coins are a high-rimmed pfennig minted during Archbishop Gero of Magdeburg's tenure (1012-1023 AD) and coins issued under Archbishop Hunfried (1032-1051 AD). 

The most recent from the cluster was issued under Bishop Burchard of Halberstadt (1036-1059 AD), which indicates that the hoard was deposited at some point after 1059 AD.

"The coins reveal not only a fascinating insight into regional minting practices but also suggest strong ecclesiastical influence, as most were struck under prominent church leaders," said the State Office for Monument Preservation and Archaeology of Saxony-Anhalt.