The Archaeological Museum in the Norwegian city of Stavanger has been surprised by an unexpected contribution from the public, when a person left Viking-age jewelry at its entrance.
The find consists of several dress buckles, two bracelets and a pearl necklace that worn like a link. Archeologist Kristine Orestad Sørgaard said that this type of jewelry was typical of housewives in the Viking Age, adding that she could date the find instantly.
“This find just screams Viking Age. Both the oval buckles with silver plating, the straight-armed buckle, and the two bracelets are typical of the period. In addition, the woman had jewelry with more than 50 pearls,” she said, as quoted by The Viking Herald.
According to researchers, the woman in question belonged to the upper strata of society because not everyone could afford such jewelry. The jewelry indicates not only the status she had in this life but also the social position she would enjoy after life.
Ultimately, the find was dated to early Viking times, because one of the pearls came from around 850 AD.
Screenshot of tweet by Stavanger Museum
© Photo
Unfortunately, the people who donated the jewelry to the museum did not know when, how, or exactly where the jewelry was found. However, it was established that the objects were found in Frafjord in Gjesdal Municipality in Rogaland, which is itself a very interesting site for researchers.
“In Frafjord and the southern parts of Ryfylke, a lot of objects have been found from the periods before the Viking Age, but very little from the Viking Age itself. Getting such a piece is therefore very valuable for the history of the area,” archeologist Barbro Dahl explained.
Sørgaard lamented the missed opportunity to investigate the site of discovery, noting that three of the blue glass beads belonging to the Frafjord woman were several hundred years older than the other beads.
“Either this is an heirloom, or the find is mixed with another find from another, much older grave. We will never know,” Sørgaard said.
The Frafjord woman’s jewelry testifies to flourishing international contact and trade in the area. Oval buckles were made in Viking cities such as Kaupang and Ribe, and several of the pearls may have originated in the Mediterranean and the Middle East, the Stavanger Museum concluded.
According to Norwegian law, finds older than 1537 must be reported and submitted to Norway’s Cultural Heritage Service. Sørgaard emphasized that the donation is well-appreciated and represents Norway’s cultural heritage as a piece in the puzzle of the nation's common past.