Archaeologists in Awe: Stunning Gold Treasure Found in Denmark
Archaeologists at the National Museum in Denmark are stunned by a rare artifact found in a field in West Jutland that may provide a breakthrough in the understanding of Vikings and the Middle East.
The unusual artifact, a rare piece of gold jewelry, was found by a 54 years old man named Frants Fugl Vestergaard, with the help of a metal detector.
"Unseen before," the archeologists said about the artifact, a golden earring from the 11th century AD that originated in the Middle East, being the first such object found in Scandinavia.
Another explanation given by archaeologists is that the Byzantine emperor had given the earring to a Danish Viking bodyguard.
This gold piece, which was added to the Danish capital's museum exhibit, is extremely rare because there are only a few similar artifacts in the world.
"It’s completely unique to us. We only know another 10 or 12 specimens worldwide and we never found one in Scandinavia," said expert Peter Pentz of the Copenhagen Museum.
The site of the discovery in West Jutland surprised experts, as there were no known Viking sites nearby.
"The Vikings bought thousands of silver coins in their raids, travels, and expeditions around the world, but such a jewel was rare to find in their prey," the archaeologist added.
The gold earring is made of a crescent-shaped plate and is encrusted with precious stones. The motif of the jewel depicts two stylized birds around a plant, symbolizing the tree of life.
The unusual artifact, a rare piece of gold jewelry, was found by a 54 years old man named Frants Fugl Vestergaard, with the help of a metal detector.
"Unseen before," the archeologists said about the artifact, a golden earring from the 11th century AD that originated in the Middle East, being the first such object found in Scandinavia.
The Gold Treasure - an Extremely Rare Piece of Jewelry
The Copenhagen National Museum said the gold earring originated from Byzantium or Egypt and was probably a gift from the Byzantine emperor to a Viking chieftain.Another explanation given by archaeologists is that the Byzantine emperor had given the earring to a Danish Viking bodyguard.
This gold piece, which was added to the Danish capital's museum exhibit, is extremely rare because there are only a few similar artifacts in the world.
"It’s completely unique to us. We only know another 10 or 12 specimens worldwide and we never found one in Scandinavia," said expert Peter Pentz of the Copenhagen Museum.
The site of the discovery in West Jutland surprised experts, as there were no known Viking sites nearby.
The Gold Treasure - Something Never Seen Before in Denmark
"We have never discovered such a gold earring in Scandinavia before," Peter Pentz added."The Vikings bought thousands of silver coins in their raids, travels, and expeditions around the world, but such a jewel was rare to find in their prey," the archaeologist added.
The gold earring is made of a crescent-shaped plate and is encrusted with precious stones. The motif of the jewel depicts two stylized birds around a plant, symbolizing the tree of life.
