A team of treasure hunters think they are ‘on the brink’ of unearthing a hoard worth up to £15 billion that has been hidden in a cave temple in Finland for centuries.
The group dubbed the ‘Temple Twelve’ began searching in 1987 with a famous ‘mystic’ who shared its location before his death, and have dedicated their summers to finding the treasure ever since in the labyrinthine cave complex near Helsinki.
After 34 years of hard work, the Temple Twelve believe they are just a matter of time from making a breakthrough. However, they will need to endure a long winter before they once again have access to the caves that flood with freezing rainwater every year.
The group hopes that if it is found, the ‘Lemminkäinen Hoard’ (as it is known) could represent the largest and most valuable trove ever to be discovered.
Although there is no evidence to support its existence, the hoard is believed to contain more than 50,000 gems, including sapphires and diamonds, as well as at least 1,000 artifacts dating back thousands years.
Many life-size statues of 18-carat gold in human form are also believed to be found within the Sibbosberg cave system located 20 miles east from Finland’s capital.
Pictured: A team treasure hunters works to excavate a cave in Finland. The group believe they are now ‘on the brink’ of unearthing a hoard worth up to £15 billion
The treasure trove, believed to be worth up to £15 billion, is supposedly all lying untouched within the massive Sibbosberg cave system, found 20 miles east of Finland’s capital, Helsinki. Pictured: A cave system excavator.
The hoard, believed to be in an underground temple in Sipoo has remained elusive for more than three decades despite numerous official explorations and the efforts by more than 100 professional prospectors around the world.
It is believed that the temple will contain a spiralling corridor with smaller rooms that lead off it. This hallway should be used to store the treasure accumulated over many generations.
It is believed that the last time the hoard was added to was as long ago as 987AD when the hall was filled and the entrance sealed and hidden away.
Since discovering the treasure’s location, the ‘Temple Twelve’ have been digging through the caves for six hours a days, seven days per week.
After 34 years of hard work and more than 100,000 hours spent digging, the 12 ‘penniless” friends and amateur archaeologists believe they are only metres from the treasure. They hope to enter the cave next summer when they have access to the cave system again.
The treasure’s alleged existence first emerged in 1984, when local landowner and famous mystic’ Ior Bock claimed that his family were direct descendants of Lemminkäinen, a prominent figure in Finnish pagan mythology.
The cave system itself is known by some as the Temple of Lemminkäinen.
According to Bock who was killed by a personal assistant in 2010, his large estate was sealed with large stone slabs in 10th-Century in order to protect the treasures from invasions by the Swiss and Swedish armies.
Bock claimed that his family had been ‘guardians of cave’ and kept the secret since then. He therefore revealed the existence of the temple to ensure that its untold story would not be lost with him, thereby beginning the ‘Bock Saga.
Historian and author Carl Borgen, 60, the world’s leading authority on the Lemminkäinen Hoard, has chronicled the lives of the Temple Twelve and their bounty in his book ‘Temporarily Insane’.
Pictured: A photograph showing the cave system, empty of water, with the ‘Temple Twelve’ digging at the far end of the passageway in the hope of finding the treasure
The treasure’s alleged existence first emerged in 1984, when local landowner and famous mystic’ Ior Bock (pictured in historical photographs) claimed that his family were direct descendants of Lemminkäinen, a prominent figure in Finnish pagan mythology
Pictured: A map that shows the cave system hiding in Finland’s Sibbo area, near Helsinki. The map also includes details about the cave system, its entrance, and the water.
In 1987, Bock and a team of 24 “like-minded” strangers – 12 men and twelve women – formed the first permanent, self-funded excavation team at the site.
The team is made up of members from Australia, Russia, America, Germany, Norway, Finland, Sweden, Norway and the Netherlands.
Amazingly, 34 years after excavations began, only two of the original 24 remains, despite at least half the group having retired or died.
Although no hard evidence has been found to support the hoard, the Temple Twelve believe that they have the tenacity and the ability to locate and remove the massive granite slabs from temple doors and finally find what’s inside.
The group has excavated approximately 400 tonnes of sediment beneath the cave’s entry using rudimentary tools like buckets and spades.
Pictured left: The cave when it is full of water. Pictured right is the cave after the Temple Twelve’ have pumped out most of the water from it
Pictured: The Temple Twelve take a break along a road near the cave. In 1987, Bock and the original team of 24 “like-minded strangers” – 12 men/12 women – teamed up with Bock. Only two of the original 24 are still around after 34 years.
The treasure hoard of huge amounts of money is said to be contained within the Sibbosberg cave network, located 20 miles east Helsinki. Pictured: A map showing its location
The remaining sediment, and the granite slabs covering the temple door, could be removed within a matter of months thanks to a recent ‘donation’ of dynamite, according to Borgen. But they will need to wait.
Finnish weather means that digging season is limited to the summer months, before the cave begins filling with freezing rainwater.
The group must pump out more water each year than 1.5million litres at the beginning of every season.
The team is positive that they will reach the cave entrance next May or September next year, when digging will resume next year.
Boren spoke from Amsterdam, Netherlands, stating that he understood that significant progress has been made at the temple and that the crew are excited about the months ahead.
Pictured: A barefoot man digs inside the Lemminkäinen Temple in Finland
Pictured: A painting of Lemminkäinen, a prominent figure in Finnish pagan mythology, at the River of Tuonela, 1920. Lemminkäinen is one of the heroes of the Kalevala – a collection of epic poetry – where his character is made up of several separate heroes of oral poetry
“There is talk that the camp is on the verge of a major breakthrough. In real terms, it could be the discovery and exploitation of the world’s most valuable and largest treasure trove.
The Temple Twelve, as they have come to be known, have been successful in removing several large square granite rocks that block the cave’s entrance, and have also removed hundreds of tonnes worth of smaller rocks and sediment.
“I spoke to them last week and they now believe that after 34 years of digging, they are within metres of the temple entrance.”