A Viking Find from the Isle of Texel (Netherlands) and its Implications

Early in 2015 a fragment of a silver, Hiberno-Scandinavian broad-band arm-ring was found on the island of Texel, in former Frisia. It is the first find of this type in the Netherlands. A dirham was uncovered at almost the same find-spot a few years earlier. The find may thus possibly be seen as part of a small hack-silver assemblage or hoard, dispersed through ploughing. Although still very few and far between, Viking finds by detectorists have been increasing in the Netherlands, particularly in former Frisia. The Texel find can be seen in the light of these finds. As a Hiberno-Scandinavian type of object, it relates to the Irish Viking kingdom and possibly to the activities of the Great Heathen Army, to which the Frisian coastal area in some way seems connected.