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Primary sourceArtifactburied soon after 927

Vale of York Hoard

buried soon after 927

A large Viking hoard buried in Yorkshire soon after Æthelstan's conquest of York, containing one of his coins.

This hoard, buried after Æthelstan's conquest of Northumbria, includes one of his coins among Viking treasure.

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Photograph on a black background of a silver hoard: a brass bowl filled with coins and silver ingots sits at top center, surrounded by scattered silver coins, bracelets, armlets, ingots, a chain, and a twisted torc.
The Vale of York Hoard, buried soon after 927. Yorkshire Museum and British Museum.

About this source

What it is

Found in 2007 near Harrogate, this hoard of 617 silver coins and 65 other items was hidden in a gilt silver bowl inside a lead chest. It is now held by the Yorkshire Museum and the British Museum. The objects came from as far away as Samarkand, North Africa, Ireland and Scandinavia.

Why it matters

The hoard was likely buried during the unrest following Æthelstan's conquest of the Viking kingdom of Northumbria in 927. It includes one of his coins, directly tying the find to his reign, and shows the wide trading world of the Vikings he was ruling over — a mix of Christian, Islamic and pagan Norse symbols appears on the coins.

Look closer

  • Why might someone bury treasure like this during a time of conquest and unrest?
  • What do the coins' mixed symbols tell you about the beliefs of Vikings living under Æthelstan's rule?
  • What does the hoard's wide range of origins tell you about Viking trade networks?

This artifact is part of the curated material that grounds the AI version of Aethelstan on Humy.ai — when students ask about related events, the AI can quote it and cite it.

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Primary source

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Anglo-Saxon Chronicle

c. 890 (Common Stock)

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Secondary source

Textus Roffensis

c. 1300 (this copy; text 1122-1124)

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Primary source

Mac Durnan Gospels

9th-10th century

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Primary source

Coronation Gospels of Æthelstan

late 9th or early 10th century

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