College student in Denmark uses metal detector to discover ancient jewelry

A 22-year-old college student in Denmark uncovered an ancient find that turned out to be much larger than originally thought. 

This past spring, Gustav Bruunsgaard, an archaeology student from Aarhus University, took his metal detector to a field near Elsted, where previous excavations had uncovered objects dating back to the Viking Age.

While Bruunsgaard was scouring the land, his metal detector went off. He began to dig in the detected area and found a silver arm ring, according to a translated press release published by the Moesgaard Museum. 

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The ancient silver arm ring turned out to be just the start of more findings. Upon returning to the location a few days later, Bruunsgaard found six more pieces of ancient jewelry. 

Since then, Danish and international experts have further investigated the jewelry, which they have dated back to the early days of the Viking Age, around 800 A.D., according to the museum. 

The seven silver pieces found by Bruunsgaard totaled more than half a kilogram in total weight and are thought to have been used as a form of payment during the Viking Age, having been traded for other goods. 

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Kasper H. Andersen, PhD and historian at Moesgaard Museum, called the discovery "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," per the press release. "In this way, the find emphasizes how Aarhus was a central hub in the world of the Vikings, which went all the way from the North Atlantic to Asia."

The Viking Age was a period full of traveling by sea, according to the National Museum of Denmark's website. During that time, the Vikings left Scandinavia, and engaged in raids, trade and conquering land. 

Of the silver pieces recently discovered dating back to this time, three of the band-shaped, heavily stamped rings in particular inspired a very similar design created in Ireland, where the style became popular, the Moesgaard Museum noted in their release. 

One of the rings, which takes the shape of a coil or compacted spring, maintains a similar style to those originally from Russia or Ukraine, according to the museum, whereas the three bangles with a very 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 later be transferred to the National Museum of Denmark.