The settlement is believed to have been in use from the year 400 CE and all the way until the early Middle Ages.
Amongst the several things that researchers found at this old settlement was a ceramic pot underneath what used to be the floor of a building, and inside this pot was an array of jewelry.
It contained eight torque-style neck rings, one ring for the fingers, two pearls as well as two arm rings. In addition, the researchers also discovered a pouch holding twelve coin pendants.
A special find
Commenting on their special find, Maria Lingstrom, who is one of the archeologists, retells that "When I started to carefully remove the neck rings one by one, I had this extraordinary feeling of "they just keep coming and coming."
The jewelry has been dated to a thousand years ago, but despite its old age, the Viking jewelry does not look the part. Lingstrom comments that the jewelry appears as if it is almost brand new.
Amidst all the pieces of jewelry, what especially caught the researchers' eyes were the twelve coins that they found.
The discovered silver hoard. Photo: Acta Konserveringscentrum AB
Some of these coins are of European origin, coming from Bohemia, Bavaria, and England, but the other coins found are Arabic Dirhams.
One of the European coins has even been traced all the way back to the 10th century CE. from the French city of Rouen. Before finding the coin, its existence had only been alluded to in drawings from an 18th-century CE book.
The different origins of these coins retell the story of the Scandinavian Vikings' extensive contact with the outside world, where they engaged in trade and maintained international connections.
A silver coin from Normandy. Photo: Acta Konserveringscentrum AB
Other discoveries
However, jewelry is not the only remnant that researchers have found of this old Viking settlement.
They have also found over twenty houses and buildings, arrows, and amulet rings, amongst other things.
"This is something you probably only experience once in a lifetime," Lingstrom says.
As for why the jewelry was buried in the first place, the researchers are not yet sure, and the reason will likely come to light following further investigations.
Until then, we can wonder whether it was someone's attempt to safeguard their valuables during an unrestful period, as has been seen before.
The cleaning of one of the uncovered torque-style neck rings. Photo: Acta Konserveringscentrum
Archaeologist Maria Lingström at work, during the excavation of a house. Photo: The Archaeologists
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