A team of archaeologists recently discovered a treasure of ancient Viking artifacts buried more than 1,000 years ago.
The Viking discovery was recently announced in a press release by the University of Stavanger’s Museum of Archaeology. The press release noted that the artifacts were discovered in Årdal, Hjelmeland, in Western Norway.
According to the press release, archaeologists conducted an excavation where a local farmer in Norway had initially planned to construct a road. Roughly 7 inches under the soil, archaeologists discovered four “powerful” silver arm rings. Archaeologists said the silver treasure was found under the floor of what had been a small house that experts believe may have belonged to slaves on a Viking farm.
In the recent press release, Ola Tengesdal Lygre, a field archaeologist, said, “I thought at first there was talk of some twisted copper wires that one can often find in agricultural soil. But when I saw that there were several adjacent to each other and that they were not at all made of copper, but of silver, I realized that we had found something exciting.”
Archaeologists also discovered soapstone pots, knife blades, rivets, and other artifacts. Experts have noted that the discovery of the Viking artifacts is evidence of a “large and powerful” Viking farm at the site of the excavation.
READ MORE: Video: Huge colonial-era discovery made under Virginia parking lot
“This is a unique finding, because we very rarely find such objects exactly where they were laid,” project manager Volker Demuth said. “As a rule, such valuable objects are discovered on fields that have been plowed, in which an object is completely taken out of its original context.”
Demuth, who described the project as the “biggest [discovery]” he has experienced throughout his career, said, “Since the silver tax has not been moved on, it can give us completely new insights about life and society during the Viking era.”
According to the press release, the excavation suggests that the farm was burned down, which would coincide with the turmoil experienced during the Viking Age. The press release cited archaeologists who believe that both the farm and the silver discovered on the property were from the 9th century, while Norway’s Viking Age took place from 800 to 1050.
Demuth added, “If people living on this farm had to flee from an attack, it would be natural to hide valuables one had before escaping to the mountains. And maybe in a place where you wouldn’t think a treasure was hidden.”
Ole Madsen, the director of the University of Stavanger’s Museum of Archaeology, also released a statement regarding the discovery, saying, “This is an absolutely fantastic discovery, which gives us unique knowledge about one of the most important eras in Norway, namely the Viking era.”
Pictures of the Viking discovery have been shared on X, formerly Twitter.
