Treasure Hunter Hits Jackpot With This Rs 18 Crore Viking Treasure

Back in 2014, Derek McLennan, an amateur treasure hunter used a metal detector to scan around the Galloway area which witnessed the battle between the Irish and the Vikings. This battlefield held a lot of treasures hidden by the Viking deep under the ground before they headed to the fight.

While he was scanning the area, McLenna discovered a trove with over 100 relics at least 1,000 years old. The treasure hunter then informed the authority about his discovery. Three years later, the authority ruled that the treasure should be kept at the National Museum of Scotland for public display.

In contrast to the rest of the United Kingdom, where the property is shared among all landowners, Scotland law states that a reward is given only to those who discover an ownerless property. Therefore, McLennan received an award of up to 1.98 million pounds or Rs 23 crore.

However, the church that owns the land where McLenna found the treasure then filed a lawsuit against him in the Edinburgh court, asking for half of the reward.

After 5 years of restoring the relics, McLenna still regularly receive letters of appreciation from researchers for sending the treasure to the government instead of selling it on the black market.

The valuable artifacts that McLennan found around Galloway includes bracelets, an enameled cross, a gold pin, and a gold ring.

Archeologists stated that McLennan deserved the reward for finding the biggest Viking treasure in the United Kingdom. Moreover, researchers also announced important steps in restoring the artifacts. The treasure that McLenna discovered also contains many secrets that the archeologists are trying to decipher.