Amateur metal detectorists in Norway have recently made an extraordinary discovery, unearthing the largest gold treasure of this century in the country, which dates back approximately 1,500 years.

Gold antiques discovered by Erlend Bore using a metal detector. (Photo: Museum of Archeology/UiS).  

Erlend Bore, a 51-year-old Norwegian, stumbled upon this remarkable find on Rennesoy, a private island located off the southwestern coast of Norway, while using a newly acquired metal detector. Among the treasures he uncovered were 9 pendants adorned with rare symbols, 3 gold rings, and 10 gold tablets. After his metal detector signaled a discovery, Bore dug down and revealed this incredible cache of gold artifacts. He promptly informed local authorities, who in turn contacted experts at the Museum of Archaeology.

this collection of gold artifacts weighed approximately 3.5 ounces (100 grams). Experts at the museum dated these treasures to around the year 500, during the Migration period, a time when the Western Roman Empire had no rule in Europe. Hakon Reiersen, an associate professor at the University of Stavanger Archaeological Museum, believes that this gold treasure may have been hidden for safekeeping or intended as an offering to the gods when needed, given its location on Rennesoy and comparisons with similar discoveries.

Simulating the previous shape of the necklace consisting of 9 gold pendants. (Photo: Eli Gil Bell/Museum of Archeology/UiS).

Ole Madsen, the director of the Archaeological Museum at Stavanger University, expressed the significance of this find, stating, “this is the discovery of the century for gold in Norway. Finding so much gold at once is extremely unusual.”

Despite the appearance of the pendants resembling gold coins, they are actually referred to as “bracteates” and were used as decorative items. What sets this discovery apart is that all 9 bracteates bear the same image, creating an impressive necklace. According to Reiersen, “this jewelry was crafted by skilled goldsmiths and was worn by the most influential individuals in society. Discovering so many bracteates is exceedingly rare, with no comparable findings since the 19th century.”