In late September, when the Aasvik family was searching for a lost gold earring in their backyard in Jomfruland, Norway, using a metal detector, they accidentally discovered Viking artefacts from the 9th century. This is the first documented Viking find on the island, and it appears to be a unique female burial.
Five golden, paper-thin Merovingian square plates the size of a fingernail were discovered in Vingrom near Lillehammer, Norway. They show detailed figures of women and men in elegant dress. Dating from between 550 and 793, their discovery is leading experts to new insights into their purpose.
A cannon from the 14th century was discovered in the sea off the west coast of Sweden. According to an international research team led by maritime archaeologist Staffan von Arbin from the University of Gothenburg, it is probably the oldest ship's cannon in Europe. It provides an insight into the early period of naval weaponry and takes the history of this type of gun forward by at least a century.
On the island of Rennesøy in south-western Norway, a unique set of gold bractates, beads and rings from the late Migration Period was discovered with the help of a metal detector. It was all apparently part of a single lavish necklace that must have belonged to someone from the highest echelons of society. Experts speak of the golden age of the century.
While searching for the wreckage of a World War II plane near Thisted, Denmark, detectorist Peter Jensen discovered a unique set of Bronze Age figurines and ceremonial axes. The discovery was made in 2019, and after subsequent research and conservation, it will now be officially displayed along with other rare local artefacts to mark the opening of the new museum in Thisted.
A scramasax (short sword) dating from the 7th to 9th century was discovered at the bottom of a well in Skälby in southeastern Sweden. Thanks to the mud without oxygen, its carved wooden handle still looks like new. Similar swords have been found in cavalry graves in Västmanland; they were intended for close combat, but their discovery outside of burial is very rare.
A massive rune stone has been discovered under the linoleum of the kitchen floor of a farmhouse in Mosekær, Denmark. It may be one of the oldest in the country. While the archaeologist didn't see a historical artifact in it, a local detectorist noticed the runic markings after pulling them out...
A group of petroglyphs from the Late Norse Bronze Age was discovered in Bohuslän in southwest Sweden. Forty figures including thirteen ships, nine horses, seven people and four chariots were hidden on a rock under a thick layer of moss. In their time, they must have been visible from far away. This is the largest discovery of Bronze Age petroglyphs in the 21st century to date...
Two 1,000-year-old Viking silver treasures from the reign of King Harald the Wise were discovered in a cornfield near Bramslev in northern Jutland using a metal detector. The two sets lay just 50 metres apart. Originally they were even closer, but agricultural activity has disturbed their position and moved the contents.
Scandinavian scientists have identified the earliest mention of the Norse god Odin. They found it on a piece of a gold bract, which was found along with other objects using a metal detector in western Denmark. Experts say it may change the way we interpret runic inscriptions and Norse mythology.