Amateur metal detectorists from Norway have stumbled upon several ancient objects in Agder County in the southern part of the country, including a 5,000-year-old sandstone battle axe and a Bronze Age spearhead.
The finds, made near the town of Kristiansand, were handed over to professional archeologists after Easter holidays.
Screengrab from Egdene Detektorlags funnside, Norway
© Photo
Archaeologist Morten Kutchera of Agder Municipality could admittedly hardly believe his eyes.
"This is a fantastic discovery. It is very rare that we get battle axes here. I've actually never experienced that before. This is fantastic craftsmanship and it shows once again how important the efforts of private individuals are when it comes to such discoveries," he told local media.
The spearhead was also met with cheers from professionals.
"This is very special. We don't have many finds from the Bronze Age here in Agder to begin with. So this is absolutely wild to get a spearhead in such good condition," archaeologist and communicator, Theodor Lothe Bruun said.
Screengrab from Egdene Detektorlags funnside, Norway
© Photo
The hobby archeologist community is growing in Norway, eroding the historic rift that has divided history-infatuated amateurs and the professional community. Theodor Lothe Bruun emphasized "a lot of skepticism and prejudice was working both ways" alongside "bad experiences and poor communication," yet he hailed the collaboration as "extremely important and valuable," citing numerous significant discoveries that otherwise would not have been made. According to Bruun, 140 crucial finds were unearthed along a number of drained waterways in the last couple of years in Agder alone.
This soaring interest in searching for historical objects and numerous prominent finds from the Viking Age and earlier that made headlines have spurred the growth of online communities such as "Metal detectors and history" and "Metalseekers' association," which now have thousands of members from across the country. Both the interest and the recognition may, in turn, spark further discoveries, shedding more light on ancient history and bygone days.