A silver treasure from the Viking Age found in Stjørdal in Nord-Trøndelag county in northern Norway has caused a stir among archeologists.
The trove of 46 objects - already described as exceptional by professionals - includes several complete finger rings, Arabic coins, a braided necklace, several bracelets and bangles.
The find was made by a local amateur detectorist in a field by the Kongshaug plateau. He stumbled upon several rings that at first didn't look particularly appealing, but later turned out to be the discovery of his life.
“The objects were covered in clay, so it was not so easy to see what they looked like. It was only when I got home, and rinsed one of the pieces in water, that I realized that this was an exciting find,” Pawel Bednarski told national broadcaster NRK.
According to archaeologist Birgit Maixner of the Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU) Science Museum, it has been a long time since such a large discovery from the Viking Age was last made.
Maixner explained that chopped silver and jewelry was used a means of payment in Scandinavia. Fittingly, some of the items were chopped into pieces.
“The silver treasure had quite a large value in its time. At least for an individual,” Maixner explained.
So far, the researchers are still wondering whether the valuables were hidden to keep them safe or were a sacrifice or gift to a god.
However, it was the bangles that excited particular attention, even giving possible clues, as this type of jewelry was most common in Denmark. Maixner imagined that the owner hid the treasure, probably originating from Denmark, and had prepared for trade by cutting the silver into suitable pieces.
Another unusual feature is the age of the Arab coins found. An average Norwegian treasure find from the Viking Age typically includes Islamic coins stemming from the period AD890 to AD950. The Stjørdal coins, however, are dated from the end of the 7th century or early 8th century.
“The relatively old age of the Islamic coins, bracelets and the large degree of fragmentation of most of the objects is more typical of treasure finds from Denmark than from Norway. These features also make it likely to assume that the treasure is from the 9th century”, Maixner concluded.
The term Viking Age usually refers to the Early Middle Age between 800 and 1050, named after the Viking voyages. The first known Viking attack was made against the monastery of Lindisfarne in northern England in 793.
The Viking Age is characterized by a surge in navigation, population growth, increased trade with Europe and beyond, centralization of power and the transition from the Norse religion to Christianity.
Because of their raiding and trading expeditions and seafaring prowess, the Vikings left a strong mark on European affairs for more than 200 years, founding settlements from the British Isles and France to Russia and even North America.