Gotland is often referred to as "The World´s Treasury". Over 145 000 coins have been found in Gotland, a fact that makes the island to one of the worlds most important places in prehistoric finds. Artifacts of gold and silver, dating iron age, are also common. Many of the treasures you can see in the Gold Room in the National Historical Museum of Stockholm are originating from Gotland.

The world´s largest ever found silver treasure dating Viking Age was found on northern Gotland at Spillings in 1999. It weight over 80 kilos!

The picture stones witness about the rich period of the island, they can be seen at the museums of Visby, (Fornsalen) and Bunge museum in Fåröund. Between the 5th and the 11th centuries, many picture stones where made in Gotland - unlike on the mainland of Sweden, where there is more rune stones.  However, one of Sweden's oldest runes was found on a spear edge from Stenkyrka on Gotland, with the engraving: gaois (or sioag), dating as early as the 3rd century.

Gotland is also a place with several grave fields from this period of which many still can be seen.

During the years of 800 and 1050 (probably both earlier and later) the "Vikings" of Gotland established merchant relations with remote destinations all over Europe, in what will become Russia and the Baltics, all the way to Asia and the Arab regions in the east. This has its testimony in the many coins and artifacts from theese regions found on Gotland, and also the remainings of as many as 50 possible merchant- and transit harbours around Gotland's coastline.