Finnish Treasure hunters reportedly close to finding Ior Bock fortune

The entrance to the caves in Sipoo, east Helsinki, Finland. Photo / Wikimedia Commons, Paasikivi

A team of amateur treasure hunters in Finland claim to be on the brink of discovering the world's largest treasure trove, worth over $28.5 billion.

The real-life hunt for fabled treasure has taken the group of treasure hunters decades.

However, 34 years after first hearing about the"Temple Lemminkäinen" hoard, they are just metres away from completing the excavation east of Helsinki.

Burial mounds and Viking treasure are not unheard of in Northern Europe and Scandinavia, however the Lemminkäinen hoard is something else.

Detailed descriptions of the hoard list treasures including 50,000 precious gems and lifesize statues made of 18-carat solid gold.

If found, it would be the most valuable trove ever discovered.

For the international dig team in the Sibbosberg cave system, it has been a long, painstaking process involving heavy machinery and manual labour.

But the excavators who call themselves 'Temple Twelve' are following little more than a hunch.

Canadian author Carl Borgen who joined the dig in 1987 has detailed his involvement in his new book, Temporarily Insane.

A replica of the Sutton Hoo burial helmet produced for the British Musuem. Photo / Supplied

The excavations are on the family property of tour guide and mystic, Ior Bock. The unorthodox character, Bock was able through sheer conviction, folklore and cult of personality to convince a collection of rag-tag treasure hunters to follow him to Finland.

Having first learned about the treasure in Goa, from Finnish expats, he joined the excavation to see for himself.

Digging in the cave networks on the Bock's family estate, it is an annual undertaking that has drawn treasure hunters from all over the world.

Each summer the excavations continue a little further into the network and - possibly - closer to the riches.

Talking to The Mirror the author said he "spoke to them only last week and it is now their strong belief that, after more than 34 years of digging, they are now within metres of the temple entrance."

🔥Lemminkäisen temppeli. Edesmennyt opas, shamaani ja joogi Ior Bock tarinoi 1980-luvulla sukunsa mailla Sipoossa...

Posted by Seppo Honkanen on Tuesday, September 3, 2019

Bock was murdered in 2010 after a dispute with two assistants. Stabbed at his home in Munkkiniemi, SK24 reported that the motive was unknown.

Still, each summer after pumping 1.5 million litres of water out of the waterlogged tunnel system, the digs continue to this day.

"I understand that significant progress at the temple has been made and that the crew are feeling especially excited about the months ahead," Borgen told The Mirror.

"There is now talk in the camp of being on the brink of a major breakthrough, which in real terms could be the discovery of the world's largest and most valuable treasure trove."

Saxon digs

Not all middle-age burial mounds are so tough to excavate, for so little reward.

On Wednesday, a Norfolk treasure hoard was declared to be the largest discovery of its kind. Over 130 gold coins had been extracted from the Anglo-saxon burial mound over the past 30 years.

The treasure dated back 1400 years was mostly uncovered by a single, anonymous metal detectorist between 1991 and 2020.

However, they may not be able to keep the loot. Under the 1996 Treasure Act any find of precious metals unclaimed for more than 300 years are defined as property of the Crown.

In 2017 policeman David Cockle was jailed for 16 months for trying to sell coins from the hoard illegally, reported the Guardian.

The Sutton Hoo regional park is famous for burial mounds and was recently the setting for 2021 Netflix drama The Dig, starring Ralph Fiennes.