An important Viking hoard of jewels and coins unearthed in England by a father-and-son team of treasure hunters in 2007 has been acquired by two museums and will go on display next month. The Vale of York hoard, valued at 1.1 million pounds ($1.8 million) and dated at 1,000 years old, includes objects from Afghanistan, Ireland, Russia and Scandinavia, underlining the global spread of cultural contacts during medieval times. The York Museums Trust in York, northern England, and the British Museum in London bought the treasure. The hoard contains 67 objects and 617 coins, many of which were contained in a gilt silver vessel made in Europe in the middle of the ninth century. Because it was kept in a lead container, it is well preserved. The hoard contains coins relating to Islam and the pre-Christian religion of the Vikings, as well as to Christianity.
