Bury the treasures!

Trade across the Baltic Sea, which had been underway for several hundred years, had made many Gotland farmers rich. They had a lot of freedom in relation to the Swedish king and paid only a fifth the amount of tax that the mainlanders paid.

The farms housed riches, accumulated for generations, hidden away for times of trouble. The treasures presented in the display case, for example, were found buried at Ammunde farm on southern Gotland in 1858. 125 objects – mostly gold and silver – dated to the 11, 12 and 1300s. The treasures were redeemed by the state for around 500 riksdaler, equivalent to around SEK 600,000 today.

Nine discoveries of treasures from across the island have been linked to the invasion in 1361. Many of those who buried their valuables presumably died in the battles. This explains why they were never dug up and reclaimed.