Family searching for lost earring finds 1,200-year-old Viking treasure

Archaeologists are impressed by the “incredible” find

A family searching for a lost gold earring discovered Viking Age artifacts in their garden on the Norwegian island of Jomfruland. Scientists say this is a unique find.

A Norwegian family was searching for a lost gold earring in their yard on the island of Jomfruland when they discovered a treasure far more valuable than jewelry: Viking Age artifacts dating back more than 1,000 years.

According to Arkeonewsthe Aasvik family was searching for lost jewelry in their home in Jomfruland, but once they turned on the metal detector, they came across a bowl-shaped buckle and another item that appears to be part of a Viking Age burial.

The Cultural Heritage organization reported this recently. from the Vestfold and Telemark County Council.

The council said they believed the ancient woman’s grave had been unknowingly preserved under a large tree in the Aasvik family’s garden. Artifacts found there are believed to date back to around 800 AD.

The Aasvik family immediately contacted local authorities to report their discovery.

Jomfruland is a small island off the southern coast of Norway. The find is of great importance for the history of the region, notes Arkeonews. It was previously assumed that people lived on this island during the Viking Age, but scientists have still not been able to confirm this. This is believed to be the first Viking Age find on the island.

Archaeologist Vibeke Lia from Vestfold Municipality and Telemark County, who saw the ancient buckles, says it is an incredible find and the 1,200-year-old artefacts are in good condition.

“As far as I know, this is the first reliable find from the Viking Age on Jomfruland,” Vibeke Lia told NRK Vestfoldogtelemark, adding that it is an exciting archaeological find.

Leah believes there may be more items in the ground at this site, but says it is not practical to dig any further.

“If this is a grave, then it is protected. We would rather try to find out more in other ways,” she said.

The Aasvik family aren’t the only people to make a Viking-era discovery in Norway this month. Another treasure was recently found, which archaeologists called the find of the century, recalls Arkeonews.

Amateur archaeologist Erlend Bor used his newly acquired metal detector and unearthed nine pendants, three rings and 10 gold pearls believed to date back to around 500 AD.