Jan Bartek – AncientPages.com –  Ancient Roman coins have previously been discovered on Gotland in Sweden. However, coming across similar ancient items on the deserted island of Gotska Sandön does not happen often. It’s a unique discovery due to the location.

These ancient Roman coins were found on the Gotska Sandön in Sweden. Credit: Södertörn University

Situated some 38 kilometers north of Fårö, the Gotska Sandön is an uninhabited Swedish island in the Baltic Sea. Archeologists are still struggling to determine the island’s historical role.

Scientists from the Södertörn University in Sweden are conducting an archaeological project on Gotska Sandön, an island protected by national park status, cooperating with Campus Gotland and the Gotland Museum. The project started in 2020, and in March 2023, finds were made that are special in the context of Sandön. Researchers unearthed two Roman denarii, silver coins from the time of Trajan (98-117 CE) and Antoninus Pius (161 CE).

“These are exciting finds that raise several questions,” says Johan Rönnby, professor of marine archaeology at Södertörn University, in a press statement.

Are these items from a shipwreck spread on the beach? There are also many hearths and remnants of fireplaces along Sandön’s coastline, could the Roman coins instead somehow be ᴀssociated with these activities? Are these the remains of settlements on the island, or do they have links to relatively large-scale ancient seal oil products? Research that may provide answers to some of these questions is planned for 2023.

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Reports that lighthouse keeper Hjalmar Söderberg had found a Roman coin on the island had previously encountered skepticism.

“Finds of Roman silver coins are not unusual on Gotland, but they are on Gotska Sandön. This find is interesting because of its location,” adds Daniel Langhammer, an officer at the County Administrative Board of Gotland.

Written by Jan Bartek – AncientPages.com Staff Writer