A friend from Ireland sent us a little inspiration from a friend in Norway, where metal detector finds are now on display, including a description of the usefulness of such a collaboration in a national museum.
In Dalköping, near Trelleborg, Sweden, an extensive archaeological survey was carried out at the site of a planned prison facility. It uncovered evidence of settlement across many periods; the oldest dating back 12 000 years. Among the most valuable finds was a richly furnished Bronze Age cairn of an elite woman...
Four beautiful silver Viking bracelets were discovered on a hillside near the Norwegian farm Årdal in the village of Hjelmeland. Each is unique and all are in perfect condition. They were hidden under the floor of a Viking house that burned down in the 9th century...
In a field near Elsted in the spring, an archaeology student discovered a hoard of seven silver Viking bracelets. First he found one, then a week later he returned to the site and discovered six more. Dating back to around 800 AD, they date from the very beginning of the Viking Age and indicate widespread Viking connections.
A Bronze Age axe was discovered on the seabed off Arendal in south-eastern Norway at a depth of 12 metres. According to the specific hollow shape, it is specifically from the Middle Bronze Age and dates back to approximately 1100 BC. This is the first prehistoric metal artefact discovered in Norwegian waters and possibly the first evidence of a shipwreck from this period...
While cultivating a field that had not been ploughed for many years on a family farm in Suldal in south-western Norway, local farmer Øyvind Tveitane Lovra and his son discovered a rare Viking sword. Lovra initially thought it was part of an old piece of farming equipment, but upon closer examination he recognised the torso of a Viking weapon in the object. Only 170 swords of this type have been discovered in the whole of Europe.
The farm in the Jute town of Vindelev is believed to have been the home of a prominent international figure. Newly published research on Denmark's largest hoard of Roman gold coins and bractates demonstrates the strong influence of the small settlement and its connection to elite Roman cities...
An 800-year-old Christian tomb with a treasure trove of silver bractates has been discovered in the grounds of Brahekyrkan Church in Visingsö, Sweden. In the Middle Ages, Christians were rarely buried with grave goods, and it is very rare to discover a burial with more coins in this period. Moreover, some of the coins of this burial were unknown until now.
In Kalmar, southeastern Sweden, a gold ring with an engraving of the face of Christ from the early 15th century was discovered during two years of research. The jewel was lying in a waste layer and is still as new, in almost pristine condition. It was probably worn only briefly and then accidentally lost. It is of Nordic origin, and due to its size it probably belonged to a wealthy lady...
With the help of metal detectors, a very rare, 1,500-year-old Merovingian gold ring made of 20-carat gold was discovered in Emmerlev, Jutland. It's a reference to Germanic mythology and the excellence of Frankish craftsmanship. The ring suggests a connection to a hitherto unknown princely family in south-western Jutland.