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Viking-Age hoard reveals trade between England and the Islamic World
A Viking-Age silver hoard unearthed in Bedale, North Yorkshire, is providing new insights into wealth and trading links between England and the Islamic World. - HeritageDaily - Archaeology News
While most derived from western European coinage — likely Anglo-Saxon and Carolingian money obtained through raids or ransom — a significant proportion came from Islamic dirhams minted in regions corresponding to modern-day Iran and Iraq. While raiding and tribute extraction remained key, they were part of a broader economic system that included importing, melting down, and recasting foreign silver into standardised bullion for use in trade. As Dr Kershaw notes, imagining Bedale as a bustling node in a network connecting Yorkshire to Baghdad and beyond challenges the simplistic “Viking raider” stereotype — revealing instead a people deeply embedded in global commerce over a thousand years ago.
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