An amateur metal detectorist has struck gold in Norway after discovering a collection of Jewellery dating back 1500 years.
After he was encouraged by his doctor to become more active earlier this year, Erlend Bore Purchased his first metal detector. The 51-year-old Norwegian man began his Journey on the Norwegian island of Rennesoy where he quickly stumbled across the bounty.
Initially, he thought he had dug up some old chocolate coins only to be very pleasantly surprised with his discovery. The collection of jewellery included three gold rings, nine engraved gold pendants and ten gold pearls- all dating to the 6th century. Experts say the country hasn’t had a discovery this significant since the 1800s.
Ole Madsen, director of the Museum of Archaeology at the University of Stavanger, claimed “This is the gold find of the century in Norway… To find this much gold at the same time is extremely unusual.”
Bore made the significant discovery during the summer months. After a period of unsuccessful searching, he decided to alter his approach, as reported to the Norwegian Broadcasting Corporation (NRK) via Google Translate. He gazed across the landscape and pondered, 'If I were in this location a long time ago, where would I have been?'
Credit: Associated Press
This contemplation led Bore to relocate to higher ground. It was there that his metal detector started emitting a beeping sound. He recalls, 'Suddenly, I found myself holding a valuable gold treasure,' and promptly shared a photograph of his discovery with local experts."
The pendants and beads probably constituted what Håkon Reiersen, an archaeologist at the museum, describes as "an extraordinarily magnificent necklace." These pieces of jewellery were possibly "crafted by highly skilled goldsmiths and worn by the most influential figures in society." Dating back to the year 500 C.E., these artifacts originate from a particularly challenging historical period.
Reiersen suggests, "This era likely marked a crisis characterized by crop failures, deteriorating climate conditions, and outbreaks of diseases."
He notes that "the numerous abandoned farms in Rogaland from this period indicate that this region was severely affected by the crisis."
In contrast to other pendants of that era depicting the Norse god Odin healing a horse, these pendants only depict a horse.
Given the location and historical circumstances, Reiersen believes these artifacts were probably "concealed treasures or offerings to the gods during that tumultuous period."
The Cultural Heritage Act of Norway stipulates that an individual who comes across a valuable discovery will be entitled to a finder's reward, which must be evenly shared between the person who owns the land and the individual who made the discovery.
The discovery has sparked a new interest in global gold prospecting – even to Australian shores.
For prospectors looking to try their luck Gold Industry Group suggested some for the best places to find gold in their recent article: Eureka! The best places to go gold prospecting in Australia