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Danish treasure discovery could yield new knowledge of pre-Viking people

AFP
AFP - [email protected]
Danish treasure discovery could yield new knowledge of pre-Viking people
Saxon, Ottonian, Danish and Byzantine coins are pictured on a table in Schaprode, northern Germany on April 13, 2018. - A 13-year-old boy and a hobby archaeologist have unearthed a "significant" trove in Germany which may have belonged to the legendary Danish king Harald Bluetooth who brought Christianity to Denmark. A dig covering 400 square metres (4,300 square feet) that finally started over the weekend by the regional archaeology service has since uncovered a trove believed linked to the Danish king who reigned from around 958 to 986. Braided necklaces, pearls, brooches, a Thor's hammer, rings and up to 600 chipped coins were found, including more than 100 that date back to Bluetooth's era. (Photo by Stefan Sauer / dpa / AFP) / Germany OUT

An amateur archeologist has found 22 gold objects with sixth century symbols that could yield new details about pre-Viking peoples in Denmark, the museum that will house the treasure said on Monday.

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Some of the objects have runic motifs and inscriptions which may refer to the rulers of the time, but also recall Norse mythology, Mads Ravn, director of research at the Vejle museums in western Denmark, told AFP.

"It is the symbols on the items that makes them unique, more than the quantity found," according to Ravn, who said the treasure weighed about one kilogram.

One piece even refers to the Roman emperor Constantine from the early 4th century, said Ravn.

"The find consists of a lot of gold items, including a medallion the size of a saucer," Ravn added.

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According to initial examinations, the treasure could have been buried as an offering to the gods at a chaotic time when the climate in northern Europe dramatically turned colder after a volcanic eruption in Iceland in 536 sent ash clouds into the sky.

"They have many symbols, some of which have not been seen before, which will enable us to enlarge our knowledge of the people of this period," he said.

The treasure was found near Jelling in southwestern Denmark, which historians say became a cradle for kings of the Viking-age which lasted between the 8th and 12th centuries.

The treasure will be on display at the museum in Vejle from February 2022

The amateur archeologist using a metal detector found the treasure about six months ago but the news was only disclosed now.

READ ALSO: DNA analysis reunites Viking relatives in Denmark after 1,000 years 

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