Metal detectorist unearths stash of Viking treasure in Norway — then keeps quiet
While scouring a craggy Norwegian island with a metal detector, a man stumbled upon buried treasure.
After initially keeping quiet about his finding, he has now shared his discovery with the world.
Håvard Børvik, a metal detector enthusiast, came upon the hidden loot on Engeløya, a small rocky island north of the Arctic Circle, he said in a Sept. 5 Facebook post.
He found a stash of metallic armbands intricately engraved with rows of triangles buried beneath layers of soil and roots.
After Børvik reported the find to the local government in August, archaeologists descended upon the site to investigate, according to NRK, a Norwegian news outlet.
Several weeks later, they determined the objects, made of silver, were probably buried intentionally for safekeeping, archaeologist Anja Roth Niemi told the outlet.
The armbands resemble other artifacts from the Viking era fashioned from silver, a much desired after material at the time, Niemi told the outlet.
Once the archaeologists had completed their investigation, Børvik spilled the beans about his newfound trove.
He was excited when the researchers finished, so he didn’t have to keep the secret anymore, Børvik wrote in his Facebook post including photos of the armbands.
The jewelry is likely the greatest discovery he will ever make as a metal detectorist, Børvik wrote, adding that the exhilarating find has kept him awake at night.
Other Viking age discoveries have been made on Engeløya in the past. The island is home to a Bronze Age burial mound dating to around 1100 B.C., according to a report from Norway’s National Museum. Tweezers and a decorated button were located near cremated remains.
Viking jewelry deposits have been throughout Northern Europe, including in Scotland and the Isle of Man, according to the BBC.
Google Translate was used to translate Børvik’s Facebook post and the NRK news article.
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