Twenty-two gold objects dating from the sixth century have been discovered in Jelling, in the southwest of Denmark, which is believed to be one of the biggest treasure troves ever found in the country.
According to the Vejle Museum, amateur archaeologist Ole Ginnerup Schytz was walking across the fields when he discovered the large trove with a recently purchased metal detector.
In total, the trove weighs just over a kilogram, which includes a medallion the size of a saucer. It was observed that some of the objects have runic motifs and inscriptions that may mention rulers of the time, with one artifact representing the Roman emperor, Constantine, from the early 4th century.
Head of Archaeology, Research and Collections at the Vejle Museums in Denmark, Mads Ravn, told AFP, The find “contains many symbols, some of which are still unknown to us, which will enable us to broaden our knowledge of the men of this period.”
Initial examinations of the treasure state that the trove could have been used as an offering to the Nordic gods at around 536, when the climate in northern Europe was turned upside down, after a volcanic eruption in Iceland covered the sky with ash.