"The coin displayed the face of a bearded man with the Latin word 'IOAN,' which is short for John, and a partial Latin inscription that appeared to read 'Baptist and Evangelist.'"
"Despite the Vikings being thought of as mostly pagan, the discovery suggests they may have turned to Christianity decades earlier than previously assumed, indicating a complex cultural exchange."
"Coins from this century in Western Europe typically displayed the portrait of kings or emperors, not religious figures, making this find particularly significant."
A recent discovery in Norfolk, UK, revealed a gold coin pendant from the late ninth century, featuring the face of John the Baptist. This find suggests that Vikings, previously thought to be predominantly pagan, may have adopted Christianity earlier than historians believed. The coin's inscriptions indicate a connection to Christian teachings, challenging assumptions about the spread of Christianity during the Viking Age. This is the first known piece of jewelry from this period in Western Europe to depict a religious figure, highlighting a significant cultural shift.
Read at Mail Online
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