Metal detector discovers Viking treasure in Norway – and then remains silent
When a man searched a rugged Norwegian island with a metal detector, he came across buried treasure.
After initially keeping quiet about his discovery, he has now shared his discovery with the world.
Håvard Børvik, a metal detector enthusiast, came across the hidden loot on Engeløya, a small rocky island north of the Arctic Circle, he said in a Sept. 5 Facebook post.
He found a stash of metal bracelets intricately engraved with rows of triangles buried beneath layers of soil and roots.
After Børvik reported the find to the local government in August, Archaeologists dismounted according to NRK, a Norwegian news agency, on the website to investigate.
A few weeks later, they concluded that the silver-made objects were likely intentionally buried for safekeeping, archaeologist Anja Roth Niemi told the outlet.
The armbands are similar to other Viking Age artifacts and are made of silver, a highly sought-after material at the time, Niemi told the outlet.
After the archaeologists completed their investigation, Børvik talked about his new discovery.
Børvik wrote in his Facebook post, which included photos of the armbands, that he was excited when the researchers finished so he no longer had to keep the secret.
The jewelry was probably the biggest discovery he would ever make as a metal detector, Børvik wrote, adding that the exciting find kept him up at night.
In the past, other Viking Age discoveries have been made on Engeløya. The island is home to one Bronze Age burial mounds According to a report from the Norwegian National Museum, it dates back to around 1100 BC. Near the cremated remains were a pair of tweezers and a decorated button.
Viking jewelry deposits existed throughout northern Europe, including In scotland and that Isle of Mansaid the BBC.
Google Translate was used to translate Børvik’s Facebook post and the NRK news article.
Six-eyed creature – with a long blue body – found on dead wood in the forest. Discover new species
Black holes have “digestive disorders” and “burp out” pieces of entangled stars, a study shows
Woman discovers a small creature in her garden that was thought to be extinct for 100 years
