Viking treasure found

The BBC has an article by BBC Scotland's Morag Kinniburgh about the Vikings:

A Viking treasure trove has been unearthed in a field in Dumfriesshire, Scotland. The haul is said to be worth a six figure sum, but has been described as priceless by academics studying Scotland's past. Silver and gold ingots, brooches, and armbands were found by Derek McLennan (photo, top), a retired businessman from Ayrshire, who made the find in September of 2014.
Experts are working to figure out what can be learned from the treasure trove, which will be put it on public display. In total, more than a hundred items were recovered, including armbands, a cross, and brooches (photo, bottom). Among the objects within the hoard is an early Christian cross thought to date from the ninth or tenth century. The solid silver cross has enamelled decorations, which experts consider to be highly unusual. The haul also includes possibly the largest silver Carolingian pot ever discovered, with its lid still in place. The pot is likely to have already been around a hundred years old when the hoard was buried.
Experts have said the discovery is one of the most important Viking hoards ever found in Scotland. In 2013, McLennan uncovered Scotland's biggest haul of medieval silver coins.
Stuart Campbell,  head of the National Museum of Scotland's treasure trove unit, said: "This is a hugely significant find. Nothing like this has been found in Scotland before in terms of the range of material this hoard represents. There's material from Ireland, from Scandinavia, from various places in central Europe, perhaps ranging over a couple of centuries. So this has taken some effort for individuals to collect together."
McLennan said he had dragged himself out of his sick bed to pursue his passion for metal detecting on the day he found the Viking treasure. He had been given permission to search the site and, after an hour, he found a silver object, at first he thought it was a spoon but, when he rubbed the surface, he recognized the Viking decoration. Further excavation unearthed more than a hundred items of silver and gold, including a bird pen, metal vessel, armbands, cross and brooches. Experts say it's one of the most significant Viking hoards ever found in Scotland.
He said: "I dragged myself out of a sick bed because I had two friends that wanted to detect, and I'm a bit of an obsessive. When I unearthed the first piece, initially I didn't understand what I had found, because I thought it was a silver spoon, and then I turned it over and wiped my thumb across it and I saw the saltire-type of design and knew instantly it was Viking. Then my senses exploded, I went into shock, endorphins flooded my system and away I went, stumbling towards my colleagues, waving it in the air."
Fiona Hyslop, Cabinet Secretary for Culture and External Affairs said: "The Vikings were well known for having raided these shores in the past, but today we can appreciate what they have left behind, with this wonderful addition to Scotland's cultural heritage. It's clear that these artifacts are of great value in themselves, but their greatest value will be in what they can contribute to our understanding of life in early medieval Scotland, and what they tell us about the interaction between the different peoples in these islands at that time. The Dumfries hoard opens a fascinating window on a formative period in the story of Scotland, and just goes to show how important our archaeological heritage in Scotland continues to be. As ever, the Scottish government will work to facilitate and support the discovery, analysis, and exhibition of finds like this, for the benefit of people here and abroad. With that in mind, I would like to echo the praise for the responsible behavior of the metal detectorists: without their continued cooperation this would not be possible."

Rico says they're lucky; a lot of people would have pocketed it and walked away...