– This is definitely the biggest thing I have experienced in my career, says archaeologist and project manager Volker Demuth at the Archaeological Museum at the University of Stavanger. When farmer Tårn Sigve Schmidt was to build a new tractor road along the mountain on his farm in Hjelmeland, he contacted archaeologists to check if there was anything there to take care of. That was it, you might say. Archaeologist Volker Demuth poses by the Viking treasure that was found in Årdal in Hjelmeland. Photo: Anniken Celine Berger / Archaeological Museum/University of Stavanger The archaeologists arrived, and the discovery they made surprised them. About 20 centimeters into the ground were four heavy silver bracelets, all with different decorations. – It was a bit like I dreamed. I had to pinch my arm, says archaeologist Mari Krogstad Samuelsen. Archaeologist Mari Krogstad Samuelsen helped make the discovery. Photo: Thomas Ystrøm / news Together with Ola Tengesdal Lygre, she had discovered a treasure. From the Viking Age. – At first I thought it was a question of some twisted copper wires that you can often find in agricultural land. But when I saw that there were several lying next to each other and that they were definitely not made of copper, but of silver, I realized that we had found something exciting, says Lygre. Large and powerful Viking farm The excavation shows that there was a large and powerful Viking farm here. It consists of several houses for both people and animals. – It is very exciting. There is good soil here, so it is kind of understandable. I have grave mounds in other places nearby, but I did not expect that it would be exactly where it is, says farmer Schmidt. Several discoveries were made within this square. Photo: Archaeological Museum/University of Stavanger The archaeologists found remains of soapstone pots, rivets, knife blades and whetstones for sharpening tools. – Here they have had full control of the entry into what is today Årdal, says Demuth. Under the floor of what was a small house that probably belonged to the slaves on the Viking farm, the silver treasure was buried. It was on the property of Tårn Sigve Schmidt from Årdal that the archaeologists made a sensational discovery. Photo: Thomas Ystrøm / news So far, nothing more has been found in the area around where the Viking treasure was found, but the excavation is being extended after the surprising find. – This is a unique find, because we very rarely find such objects exactly where they were placed. As a rule, such valuable objects are discovered on fields that have been plowed, where an object has been completely taken out of its original context. Since the silver hoard has not been moved, it can give us completely new insights into life and society in the Viking Age, says Demuth. The farm burned down And the discovery has already given the researchers some answers. The excavation shows that the farm was burned down at one point, and this coincides with a period of great unrest in the Viking Age. The archaeologists will continue to dig at the site in the future. The hope is to find more. Photo: Thomas Ystrøm / news The farm and the silver find probably date from the 9th century, according to the archaeologists. The Viking Age in Norway lasted from around the year 800 to the year 1050. – If people who lived on this farm had to flee from an attack, it would be natural to hide the valuables they had before escaping to the mountains. And perhaps in a place where you wouldn’t have thought that a treasure was hidden, says Demuth. We know that there were no silver mines in operation in Norway at this time, so all the silver the Vikings used came from abroad. Whether it was through trade, as gifts, or as part of loot on a Viking expedition. The discovery site in Hjelmeland is quite large. Photo: Theo Eli Gil Bell / Archaeological Museum/University of Stavanger More discoveries made in Hjelmeland Several discoveries from the Viking Age have previously been made in Hjelmeland municipality. In 1769, silver neck rings similar to the new find were found. The archaeologists cannot currently rule out that there is a connection between the two finds. The finds have now been transported to the Archaeological Museum in Stavanger, where X-rays have been taken of them. They will then be exhibited. The X-ray shows clear findings of four bracelets. Photo: Archaeological Museum/University of Stavanger And the tractor road to Tårn Sigve Schmidt, it naturally has to wait. – It will be a tractor road, but it will take a little longer, he says. Published 11.09.2024, at 11 a.m
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New tractor road led archaeologists to discover treasure and a farm from the Viking Age in Hjelmeland – news Rogaland – Local news, TV and radio
