Gotland, Sweden: The Vikings' treasure island
Overview of archaeologists' efforts to uncover Viking treasure on Gotland island, Sweden.
Contunico © ZDF Studios GmbH, Mainz; Thumbnail W.carter; © Nejron/Dreamstime.com
-
Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.Learn about the Battle of Britain, between Britain's Royal Air Force and Germany's Luftwaffe, which began in July 1940. From The Second World War: Triumph of the Axis (1963), a documentary by Encyclopædia Britannica Educational Corporation.
-
Contunico © ZDF Studios GmbH, Mainz; Thumbnail © Jorisvo/Dreamstime.comLearn about the Saxon leader Widukind.
-
Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.How did we get from the Monroe Doctrine to covert ops?Media Editor: Lauren Sims
-
Contunico © ZDF Studios GmbH, MainzLearn about Viking trade and its importance in Viking rituals.
-
Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.The Danube River links the countries of the Balkan Peninsula to each other and to the rest of Europe.
-
Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.Questions and answers about Ivar the Boneless.
-
Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.Iron ore mining at Kiruna, Sweden.
News •
9 stats from Bills' win: Buffalo defense matches 1985 Bears, Carson Wentz historically bad
• Nov. 10, 2026, 9:01 AM ET (Rochester Democrat and Chronicle)
Hometown glory? Norwegian library unveils £100k history book donated by Erling Haaland
• Nov. 9, 2026, 12:10 PM ET (The Guardian)
Vikings the NFL’s last remaining unbeaten after Chiefs fall to Seahawks
• Oct. 26, 2026, 9:31 AM ET (New York Times)
'I worked on 1970s dig that changed what we knew about Vikings'
• Oct. 16, 2026, 1:03 AM ET (BBC)
Transcript
NARRATOR: Gotland, a Swedish island east of Stockholm - archaeologists are examining the ground, excavating to a time when gold and silver abounded on Gotland. Over 700 Viking treasures have been found here up to now, more than 15 tons of precious metal. Since these finds Gotland has been called the Vikings' treasure island.
Today, archaeologists are excavating a piece of land on the west side of the island. The area is bigger than 100 football pitches. It is believed this was the site of an important Viking port. Each artifact gives us insight into the past. And the archaeologists believe they have only discovered a small fraction of what is on the island. Most of what is here still rests under Gotland's sea of flowers. It appears as if this inconspicuous Baltic island was really a collection point for silver, an El Dorado that continues to draw treasure hunters. But any unauthorized attempt to dig for treasure here is dealt with strictly.
DAN CARLSSON: "This biggest hoard ever found was up in Spillings. It's up here in the northern part of Gotland. Just a couple of years ago we found the biggest Viking silver hoard ever found in the world up here. And it weighed 75 kilos of pure silver and old Arabic coins and Byzantine coins."
NARRATOR: This find is said to exceed 40,000 coins. The hoard from Spillings can now be viewed in a museum in Visby on Gotland. But according to archaeologists' most optimistic estimates, the assumption is that no more than half of the Viking treasure here has been unearthed.
Eighty percent of the finds in Gotland show that the Vikings were ambitious traders and seafarers. They extended their reach as far as Byzantium and brought back the great riches they had amassed to Gotland. This also proves that Gotland, an inconspicuous island in the Baltic Sea, was a key trading post at the time of the Vikings. It was an unloading and loading point for the seafaring Norsemen who sought fame and fortune in far-off lands. And they were very successful indeed. Gotland is certain to remain a well-stocked treasure chest for quite some time.
Today, archaeologists are excavating a piece of land on the west side of the island. The area is bigger than 100 football pitches. It is believed this was the site of an important Viking port. Each artifact gives us insight into the past. And the archaeologists believe they have only discovered a small fraction of what is on the island. Most of what is here still rests under Gotland's sea of flowers. It appears as if this inconspicuous Baltic island was really a collection point for silver, an El Dorado that continues to draw treasure hunters. But any unauthorized attempt to dig for treasure here is dealt with strictly.
DAN CARLSSON: "This biggest hoard ever found was up in Spillings. It's up here in the northern part of Gotland. Just a couple of years ago we found the biggest Viking silver hoard ever found in the world up here. And it weighed 75 kilos of pure silver and old Arabic coins and Byzantine coins."
NARRATOR: This find is said to exceed 40,000 coins. The hoard from Spillings can now be viewed in a museum in Visby on Gotland. But according to archaeologists' most optimistic estimates, the assumption is that no more than half of the Viking treasure here has been unearthed.
Eighty percent of the finds in Gotland show that the Vikings were ambitious traders and seafarers. They extended their reach as far as Byzantium and brought back the great riches they had amassed to Gotland. This also proves that Gotland, an inconspicuous island in the Baltic Sea, was a key trading post at the time of the Vikings. It was an unloading and loading point for the seafaring Norsemen who sought fame and fortune in far-off lands. And they were very successful indeed. Gotland is certain to remain a well-stocked treasure chest for quite some time.
Last Modification: