Viking treasure hoard helps identify lost English king

A trove of Viking jewelry and Saxon coins unearthed by an amateur treasure-hunter in a farmer’s field may help rescue an English king from obscurity.

A close up of some of the jewellery and ingots of a significant Viking Hoard found near Watlington, in Oxfordshire, England as they are displayed at the British Museum in London, Thursday, Dec. 10, 2015. The hoard contains 186 coins, seven items of jewellery and 15 ingots of precious metal. The items include rare coins from era of King Alfred the Great (871-899) and King Ceolwulf II (874-79) when the kingdoms of Mercia and Wessex fought the invading 'Great Heathen Army' also known as the great Danish army, in the late 800's.(AP Photo/Alastair Grant)

(AP Photo/Alastair Grant)

The British Museum on Thursday unveiled the Watlington Hoard, a collection of silver bands, ingots and 186 coins from a tumultuous period in British history.

The coins were minted during the reign of Alfred the Great, king of Wessex, who battled Viking invaders during the 9th century.

Alfred is renowned as the ruler who helped unify England, but some coins also bear the name of the more obscure King Ceolwulf II of Mercia, a neighboring kingdom to Wessex.

Curator Gareth Williams said the discovery provided evidence that the kings were allies, but that Ceolwulf was “airbrushed out of history” by Alfred after they fell out.

The Associated Press contributed to this article.

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