The case in summary Jan Arild Gjersøe searches with a metal detector as a hobby and found a gold pendant on a field in Tønsberg with a metal detector. Advisor Marie Dave Amundsen at the Cultural History Museum at the University of Oslo estimates that the gold medallion is from around the year 500. In the technical language, this gold pendant is called a gold bracteate. Bracteat comes from Latin and mainly indicates that the objects are made of thin tin, according to Amundsen. The gold pendant is one of the special finds so far this year, according to associate professor Marte Spangen at the Museum of Cultural History. The gold medallion is the second Gjersøe has found. Last year he found part of such a pendant on a field in Høyjord in Sandefjord municipality. Over 3,000 finds from people with metal detecting as a hobby in the East have been handed in to the Museum of Cultural History at the University of Oslo this year. According to Marte Spangen at the Museum of Cultural History, there may be a record number of discoveries from metal detectorists in the East Norway this year, but says at the same time that several discoveries have been received by the museum, not just this year. The summary is made by an AI service from OpenAI. The content is quality assured by news’s journalists before publication. Jan Arild Gjersøe was just going to take a few more swipes with the metal detector on the field before he left for the day. But then the metal detector emitted a sound that signaled metal. He became unsure whether he should dig, but started anyway. – At first I thought it was just some scrap. When I discovered what it was, I just started laughing, says Gjersøe. Jan Arild Gjersøe shows how his metal detector works. On this field he found the gold pendant in August. Now the farmer has plowed the field and then he cannot apply here. Photo: Hege There Holtung / news Found gold on the ground twice Two centimeters below the soil layer there was an entire gold pendant. – That you find something that is so complete and beautiful after so many years is absolutely incredible, he says. They are rare to find and this is the second time. Last year he found part of such a pendant on a field in Høyjord in Sandefjord municipality. – It’s luck, believes Gjersøe, who has only had the hobby for three years. This year’s special find Marte Spangen, associate professor of archeology at the Cultural History Museum at the University of Oslo, singles out the gold pendant from Tønsberg among the special finds made with metal detectors this year so far. Associate professor Marte Spangen at the Museum of Cultural History says there are always many exciting discoveries made by metal detectorists. Photo: Marte Spangen – It’s not often people find this, it’s made of gold and has a symbolism that can tell us something, she says. Here are other finds this year that she thinks stand out: A well-preserved gold ring with the stone amethyst from the 13th-14th centuries, which was found in Stange municipality Innlandet. The large ring may have belonged to a powerful man, or been worn over gloves, she says. Photo: University of Oslo Museum of Cultural History A tutulus button from Vestre Toten in the Inland region for fastening fabric and or leather together, provides new knowledge about objects in this area from the Bronze Age, she says. The Bronze Age in Norway is from 1800-500 BC, according to Store norske lexikon. Photo: University of Oslo Cultural History Museum Spange’s favorite is a model for a Hiddensee piece of jewelery found from the Viking Age in Halden. Hiddensee jewelry is named after a large find of such gold jewelry on an island in Germany. This is the second find of a Hiddense model in the museum’s area. Photo: Kjell Magnar Haarberg Picture of a man’s head and a four-legged animal Advisor Marie Dave Amundsen at the Cultural History Museum at the University of Oslo reckons that the gold pendant Gjersøe has found can be dated to around the year 500. She has written a doctorate on gold in Norway during the migration period which was from the 400s–550s. In technical language, such gold pendants are called gold bracteate. This gold pendant was two centimeters below the ground on a field in Tønsberg. It is the second time Jan Arild Gjersøe has found such a piece of jewellery. Photo: Jan Arild Gjersøe Amundsen reckons that around 200 bracts have been found after this period in Norway. Gold was far from something everyone had. She believes that a person with a lot of power has had the jewel around her neck. It gave status. She says the pendant Gjersøe found is worn, but sees a picture of a man’s head and a four-legged animal. Anhenga often has images from mythology and may have been worn to give good luck or protection, says Amundsen. It may have been buried in a depot or placed in a grave, she thinks. This part of a gold pendant from the migration period was found by Jan Arild Gjersøe on a plot of land in Høyjord in Sandefjord in 2023. Photo: Jan Arild Gjersøe Biggest find in Vestfold Archaeologist Vibeke Lia in Vestfold County Municipality knows of only six other finds of such gold pendants in Vestfold. – This is clearly the biggest find we have obtained from metal searches in 2024, says Lia. She is responsible for accepting older items people have found with metal detectors. Archaeologist Vibeke Lia in Vestfold County says the pendant is rare, it is made of gold and well preserved. Objects from before 1537 and coins from before 1650 must be handed in to the state. The same applies to Sami objects that are older than 100 years, according to the National Archives. The objects are registered and forwarded to the Cultural History Museum in Oslo. Could be a record number of finds Over 3,000 finds from people with metal detecting as a hobby have been submitted this year. The museum has never received so many finds before, and the year is not over yet, says Marte Spangen at the museum. But at the same time, there may be a backlog from the county municipalities from previous years. Last year, 1,350 items were received. – It may look like it will be a record overall, but I dare not say that for sure, says Spangen. Associate professor Marte Spangen at the Museum of Cultural History says there are always many exciting discoveries made by metal detectorists. Photo: Marte Spangen At the museum, the objects are registered, dated, processed and taken care of. She thinks the many finds come from more people taking up this hobby and better and cheaper metal detectors. – It’s always very exciting, I think. Sometimes there are surprisingly great things. Other times it is exciting because there is a change in the image we had of different object types. Published 23.11.2024, at 20.33
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Jan Arild thought he found old junk – was rare gold – news Vestfold and Telemark – Local news, TV and radio
