Treasure Hunters Believe They Are On 'Brink' Of Finding The 'World's Largest Treasure Hoard' Worth Over $20B

A team of treasure hunters in Finland think they are on the "brink" of unearthing the ¡°world¡¯s largest treasure hoard¡± said to be worth over $20 billion.

The team, known as the ¡®Temple Twelve¡¯, have been searching in Finland for the ¡°Lemminkainen Hoard¡±, which consists of gold, jewels and artefacts, since 1987, The Sun reported.

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It is believed that the treasure if found, would be valued above $20 billion, making it the most valuable find to ever be discovered. According to researchers and historians, the hoard contains more than 50,000 gems such as diamonds, sapphires, and ancient artefacts.

The group have been spending their summers searching for the treasure, working six-hour days, seven days a week.

After 34 years of work, the Temple Twelve now believe they are a matter of months from making a breakthrough but will have to endure a long winter before they can once again access the caves that fill with freezing rainwater each year.

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Members of the group have travelled from all over the world, including Russia, Australia, the US, Sweden, Norway, Germany and the Netherlands, to join in the hunt.

The world-leading authority on the Lemminkainen Hoard, Carl Borgen, has detailed the lives of the hunters and the treasure in his book Temporarily Insane.

"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," he added.

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The existence of the treasure was first acknowledged in 1984 when landowner Ior Bock claimed his family were direct descendants of Lemmink?inen, who appear in Finnish pagan mythology.

Bock claimed the chamber on his estate had been sealed up with stone slabs in the 10th century to protect the treasure from invaders.

Just three years later, as many as 24 people joined forces with Bock to find the treasure. Now, just two members of the original team of 24 diggers remain. The rest have either died or retired.