Who knew you could strike gold "at the end of the rainbow"?
Three amateur archaeologists have unearthed what could be considered the largest trove of Viking gold ever discovered in Denmark.
Calling themselves as "Team Rainbow Power," the group of archaeologists uncovered seven bracelets from the Viking Age in a field in Jutland's Vejen Municipality.
The ancient bracelets — one silver and six gold — are estimated to date around the year 900, according to the National Museum of Denmark.
With a total weight of approximately 900 grams (1.98 pounds), the trove of seven bracelets is the biggest Viking gold discovery in the country.
Marie Aagaard Larsen, one of the archaeologists, says she was only in the field for 10 minutes when they found the first bangle.
She and her husband Christian Nedergaard Dreioee, together with their friend Poul Noergaard Pedersen, felt like it was almost unreal when they found more.
Unearthing More Bracelets
After discovering the first three bangles, the trio of amateur archaeologists asked help from a professional — Lars Grundvad from Sønderskov Museum.
At the museum, Grundvad and his colleagues had once talked about how interesting it could be to check out the field in Vejen Municipality with metal detectors because in 1911, there had been a 67-gram gold chain unearthed there.
He says the gold chain was probably part of the same trove, and that two of the seven bracelets were likely made in the "Jelling style," a design that is associated with the elite members of Viking society.
What Were The Bangles For?
Viking Age expert Peter Pentz of the National Museum says the seven bangles could have been used by a Viking leader to reward his loyal followers or form alliances.
He says the discovery is quite unique, given that even finding one of the bangles is a major achievement.
"It is very special to find seven," says Pentz.
The majority of treasure discovered from the Viking Age is silver, says Pentz. Even if there was gold, Pentz says it was only always a small part, unlike the recent find.
He says the bangles could have been buried through some form of ritual at some point in the year 900, or it was buried because someone wanted to keep it but was never able to retrieve it again.
The National Museum in Copenhagen will further investigate the bracelets to try to uncover why the valuables ended up where they were found.
In the meantime, Sønderskov Museum will put the treasure on display before it is sent to Copenhagen.
