An amateur metal detectorist in Norway is enjoying his good fortune after discovering what might be the country's largest ancient gold discovery in more than a century. Of course, it could simply be beginner's luck.
Image courtesy of Archaeological Museum at the University of Stavanger
Beginning in September, the Archaeological Museum at the University of Stavanger revealed the discovery of a cache of gold artifacts dating back more than 1,500 years on the island of Rennesy in southwest Norway. The hoard weighed almost 100 grams.
In the news statement that was translated from Norwegian, director Ole Madsen of the Archaeological Museum at the University of Stavanger noted, “this is the gold find of the century in Norway. To find so much gold at the same time is extremely unusual.”
Erlend Bore, a native of Sola, found the gold cache. The 51-year-old man purchased his metal detector a year ago, and, according to the museum, he mostly views it as a hobby to get him outside the house.
Bore relocated to a higher location after spending the majority of the day searching the beach on Rennesøy without much success. Initially, he didn't know what he had discovered, he continued.
"At first, I thought I had found chocolate money or Captain Sabertooth coins. It was completely unreal," Bore said.
The museum claimed that even though the gold disks appeared to be ancient coins, they were actually pieces of jewelry. The museum stated that the gold pendants, known as "bracteaters," were not used to buy or trade items but rather as adornment.
The jewelry, according to associate professor at the museum Hkon Reiersen, dates to roughly 500 AD. The braceleteters were also found with round gold pearls.
The gold pearls and nine bracteates combine to make a really ostentatious necklace. The most influential members of society wore the jewelry, which was created by talented jewelers. It is really uncommon to find so many braceaters in one place. It hasn't happened in Norway since the 19th century, and it's a really unique discovery in the context of Scandinavia, according to Reiersen.
The design on the gold disks, according to the museum, further distinguishes this find as being special. The brackets have images of horses on them.
According to the Museum, the pendants' emblems traditionally depict the god Odin tending to the ailing horse of his son Balder. These gold disks, however, just display the horse's appearance.
Marianne Enoksen, section manager for cultural heritage in Rogaland County Municipality, said, “None of the archaeologists in Rogaland County Municipality have experienced anything like this, and it is difficult to describe the excitement when we got to see these.”
All items discovered that date back to 1537 and coins older than 1650 are regarded as state property under Norwegian law and must be reported and given to the authorities.
A finder's fee, which must be split equally between the landowner and the finder, is permitted under the Cultural Heritage Act for those who discover loose cultural heritage. The worth of the items Bore found has not yet been established by the museum.
