Ninth-century Arabic silver coins found near Viking trading centre in Poland
The dirhams may have belonged to merchants travelling to or from the nearby Viking Age port of Truso.
Several early medieval Arabic silver coins have been discovered in a forest near Elbląg, Poland, potentially belonging to traders who visited the Viking Age port of Truso. Dating back around 1,200 years, these silver dirhams were minted during the first half of the ninth century, predating the establishment of the Polish state. Experts believe the coins might have remained in circulation until around the turn of the 10th/11th century, coinciding with the decline of the settlement.
The Archaeological and Historical Museum in Elbląg announced the exciting find last week, revealing that the coins were unearthed during a legal excavation near the town of Młynary, east of Elbląg. After undergoing conservation and processing, the coins will join the museum's collection, with archaeologists planning further site visits to unearth additional artifacts.
Jakub Jagodziński, an archaeologist from the museum, explained that the coins "represent six early medieval Arabic dirhams and two fragments." He added that their provisional dating suggests they hail from the early 9th century, although a more accurate estimation will be determined post-processing.
Truso, a Viking port established in the late 7th century, flourished until the early 11th century and facilitated trade between Scandinavia, the Byzantine Empire, and the Islamic world. The discovery of these coins might suggest the involvement of merchants traveling to or from Truso or Prussian guards tasked with collecting tolls on the trade routes.
Written by urgent.news from Notes from Poland's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
