Danish man Ole Ginnerup Schyt stumbled upon one of the largest gold treasures in the country's history just a few hours after possessing his metal detector, according to CNET. According to a press release from Vejle Museerne, an art museum in southeast jutland, Denmark, he found nearly 1 kilogram (2.2 pounds) of gold, including some huge medallions the size of plates. The museum reports that the treasures have been buried for 1500 years.
Schytz uses his new metal detector on land where Vindelev belongs to a former classmate in Denmark. At first, he didn't know what he had found. "[The first piece found] is full of scratches and is covered with dirt," he said. According to Insider, Schytz said: "I don't know, so what I can think of is that it looks like the lid of a canned herring." ”
These treasures are now known as Vindelev Hoard. It includes disc-sized decorative medallions known as bracteates, as well as some Roman coins. The inscriptions on some coins may refer to the rulers of the time, or to Norse mythology, and one of the coins may refer to Odin, the king of the gods in Norse mythology. One of the Roman coins depicts the Roman Emperor Constantine the Great, who ruled from 285-337 AD.
Mads Ravn, the museum's head of research, told CNN: "I told him he might as well sell the detector now because he's reached the top." It's not going to get any better. ”
Archaeologists at the museum later unearthed the treasures, which they say were buried in a longhouse in a village by an Iron Age chief. This discovery suggests that in the late Iron Age, the village was a center of power. In a museum statement, Ravn said: "Only members of the absolute elite of society have the ability to collect treasures like those found here. Prior to this discovery, there was no indication that such a wealthy warlord or chief lived in the village. ”
It's unclear why the chief buried the treasure, but museum staff believe it may have been to protect it from the enemy.
Vindelev Hoard will be on display as part of Vejlemuseerne's massive Viking exhibition, which will open on February 3, 2022.