Archaeology students discover Viking silver mine – History

An archaeology student has discovered a cache of silver armbands dating back to the Viking Age north of Aarhus, Denmark. Gustav Bruensgaard found the treasure earlier this year while metal detecting in a field near Elstede, where traces of Viking settlement have been found in the past. He first found one silver bracelet, then returned to find six more. Experts dated the armbands to around 800 AD, the dawn of the Viking Age (793-1066 AD).

The bracelets, which weigh about a pound in total, were used as currency and trade items. Most were probably made in Denmark, or at least in southern Scandinavia.

One-loop spiral rings originally came from Russia or Ukraine and were copied in Northern Europe. Three-loop banded, patterned rings are a Southern Scandinavian style that inspired the Irish bracelet, which is very common. Three-loop smooth bracelets are very rare, but common in Scandinavia and England.

“The Elstead Farm Hoard is a very interesting find from the Viking Age that connects Aarhus to Russia and Ukraine in the east and the British Isles in the west. In this way, the find underscores that Aarhus was a central hub of the Viking world, which stretched from the North Atlantic to Asia,” said Kasper H. Andersen, PhD, historian at the Mosgaard Museum.

Archaeological artefacts (including coins) that are of historical value and/or made of precious metals are legally Danish state property. By law, anyone who comes across such material must report it to the authorities and immediately hand it over to the National Museum. The museum then compensates the finder an amount based on the value, rarity and importance of the artefact.

The silver armband is currently on display at the Mosgaard Museum and will be handed over to the National Museum after the exhibition.