A metal detector enthusiast has uncovered Finland’s largest known Viking-era silver hoard in Sysmä, with thousands of coins and other silver objects found buried at the site. Kalle Lappinen discovered on 3 September after his detector picked up an unusually large number of signals. The hoard contains around 4.5 kilograms of silver and was buried in two birch-bark containers placed about 12 metres apart, just under half a metre below the ground between stones. The coins have not yet been cleaned or separated, so their exact number and weight are still unknown. Researchers will also need to determine their precise age. Yle (Finland's national public broadcasting company) reports that the discovery is Finland’s largest known late Iron Age coin hoard.
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