A 22-year-old archaeology student from Aarhus University, Gustav Bruunsgaard, unearthed a significant trove of ancient jewelry while using a metal detector in a field near Elsted, Denmark.

During his exploration in the spring, Bruunsgaard’s metal detector alerted him to a potential find. Upon digging, he discovered a silver arm ring.

Returning to the site a few days later, Bruunsgaard made an even more remarkable discovery, unearthing six additional silver pieces.

The jewelry, which has been dated back to the early Viking Age (around 800 A.D.), includes seven silver pieces weighing over half a kilogram. These artifacts are believed to have been used as a form of payment during the Viking Age, traded for various goods.

Kasper H. Andersen, PhD and historian at Moesgaard Museum, described the discovery as “a fantastically interesting find from the Viking Age, which connects Aarhus with Russia and Ukraine in the east and the British islands in the west.” Andersen highlighted the significance of the find in demonstrating Aarhus’s central role as a hub in the Viking world, spanning from the North Atlantic to Asia.

The Viking Age was marked by extensive seafaring, with Vikings leaving Scandinavia to engage in raids, trade, and conquest.

Among the recently discovered silver pieces, three particularly distinctive band-shaped rings with heavy stamping represent a style that gained popularity in the Viking Age.

One of the rings, resembling a coil or compacted spring, shares stylistic similarities with those originating from Russia or Ukraine, while the three bangles with a smooth, simple design are known to have originated in Scandinavia and England.

Currently, the silver treasure is on display at the Moesgaard Museum, and will eventually be transferred to the National Museum of Denmark.