‘On the Verge’ of Finding $20 Billion Lemminkäinen Hoard. Or Are They?

If you search the internet for information about the Lemminkäinen Hoard the results are greatly skeptical in nature. This is mostly because back in 2018 a team of treasure hunters told The Science Times they were “on the verge of discovering $20 billion [£15 billion] worth of treasure.” At that time they told Mail Online   that while more and more people have learned about the “almost found” billions of treasures, little was known about the origins of the famed Lemminkäinen Hoard.

A 12-strong treasure hunting team are convinced a huge stash of gold and jewels is waiting to be found in an underground temple located within the Sibbosberg cave system in Sipoo, about 20 miles (32 km) east of Finland's capital, Helsinki. Now, they are back in the news claiming they are even closer to finding the jewel stash, which they call “one of the largest and most valuable treasure troves in the world.” But does it even exist?

“A decades-long hunt for the world’s largest undiscovered treasure trove could soon be over - thanks to a team of 'stony broke' amateur archeologists.” #TempleTwelve, #LemminkäinenHoard pic.twitter.com/ZL9QbZjnwq

— The Temple Twelve (@TempleTwelve) March 22, 2022

Mythical Story Behind the Lemminkäinen Hoard

The Lemminkäinen treasure hoard was first mentioned in 1984 when Ior Bock, a local landowner, announced that his family lineage was one of the oldest in Scandinavia. He told press that he was “a direct descendant of Lemminkäinen.” The trouble here is that Lemminkäinen was a mythological shaman. This is akin to claiming divine decent from a gnome. Notwithstanding, Bock said a cave on his ancestral estate was home to the fabled Lemminkäinen Temple in which he believed “countless generations of ancient Finnish pagan treasures had been stashed.”

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Bocks inventory included “tens of thousands of jewels and ancient artifacts, including life-size gold statues of Lemminkäinen,” all of which he said were kept “in several interconnected chambers over thousands of years.” The temple entrance was sealed up with huge stone slabs in the 10th century to protect it from invading Swedish and Swiss armies, claimed Bock.

Entrance of the alleged underground temple where volunteers continue to search for the Lemminkäinen Hoard. (Paasikivi / CC BY-SA 4.0 )

Zip, Is What Has Been Discovered So Far

The Mirror recently reported that the team now believe “50,000 gemstones, including rubies, sapphires, emeralds and diamonds” are hidden in the underground temple. Furthermore, they believe “several 18-carat gold life-size statues in human form” await discovery. According to reports, a list of amateur archaeologists from at least five countries have offered their assistance in any treasure recovery excavations.

The self-styled “penniless friends” or “temple of twelve” hunting for the Lemminkäinen Hoard have been using plastic buckets and spades to excavate the site they believe hides the alleged temple. Working for over 10 years, the team operate six hours-a-day, seven days-a-week, and they have removed around 400 tonnes of vegetation, clay and rocks. Disappointingly, what have they discovered so far? Zip.

On the “Verge” of Finding the Lemminkäinen Hoard

According to historian Carl Borgen , the group’s sole spokesperson and biographer, “if it [the treasure] exists” the offer from the international volunteers would substantially increase the Temple Twelve’s chances of reaching the Lemminkäinen Hoard this year. And if the headlines are anything to go by, the team are teetering closer to the big day. Back in 2018 the group said they were on the “verge” of making the history-changing discovery, and now they claim to be on the “brink” of uncovering the Bock family treasures.

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According to Bock, the lost entrance will be found “50 ft (15.24 m) below the surface and more than 150 ft (45.72 m) from the cave entrance.” This is where ghost chasing gets dangerous. The longer the team work with no rewards, the more desperate they are becoming, it seems. This conclusion is drawn from a report in yahoo!news in which the twelve stated that they have both the “tenacity and the necessary explosives to blast away the giant granite slabs they believe block the temple door.”

Top image: Volunteers helping the Temple Twelve in their quest to unearth the Lemminkäinen Hoard. Source: Carl Borgen

By Ashley Cowie