Archaeology & History

Viking gold ring found in bundle of 'cheap jewelry'

By T.K. Randall
July 22, 2022

Image: AI-generated (Midjourney) Mari Ingelin Heskestad couldn't believe her eyes when she spotted a large gold ring among dozens of otherwise cheap necklaces, bangles, chains and other jewelry that she had purchased in an old cardboard box at an online auction.

"It was bright and gold," she told the Bergensavisen - a local newspaper in Norway.

"It looked very special, was roughly made. I reacted to it being so heavy. It glistened and stuck out among the other jewelry."

Curious to learn more about her discovery, she drove to the regional government headquarters and showed the ring to one of the archaeologists there.It was quickly confirmed that this was in fact a Viking-era gold ring made from twisted metal strands and dating back to the late Iron Age sometime between 500-700 AD.

Because gold was very scarce in Norway at the time, the ring probably belonged to someone very important like a Viking chief and had most likely been buried with him in his grave.

It later turned out that the person who sold the bundle had bought the ring from an antique shop, however it remains unclear where it might have come from originally.

The only thing I ever find is more junk...😿

A Norwegian Woman Bought Some Cheap Costume Jewelry Online — And Found A Gold Viking Ring Mixed In

Experts believe that the ring was once owned by a powerful Viking chief more than 1,000 years ago. https://t.co/5BOGJSgA85

— Hondo Resists ☮️ ðŸ'”🌻 I stand with Ukraine! 🌻 (@HondoResists) July 19, 2022

Source: Live Science

Tags: Viking