Ragnar Lothbrok and the Cuerdale Hoard: Viking Silver

The Cuerdale Hoard, discovered in 1840 along the River Ribble in Lancashire, is one of the largest Viking silver hoards ever found, with over 8,600 items weighing roughly 40 kilograms. But it's more than just a treasure chest. In this episode, Lucas and Luna explore what the hoard reveals about Viking trade networks, economy, and political alliances in the early 10th century. They discuss the coins from as far away as the Islamic caliphate, Byzantine Empire, and Carolingian Francia, showing how the Viking world was connected across continents. The hoard's location near the Irish Sea points to the Hiberno-Norse kingdom of York and the exile of its rulers after the Battle of Tettenhall in 910. They also consider why the hoard was buried and never reclaimed—was it a war chest, a ritual deposit, or simply forgotten? Along the way, they touch on hack-silver, silver arm-rings, and the role of silver as a measure of wealth and status. This episode dives into one specific archaeological find to illuminate the broader Viking Age economy.

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