Norway’s “largest gold find of the century” was discovered by 51-year-old Erlend Bore, who bought a metal detector after his doctor told him to get more exercise. Bore unearthed nine gold pendants, three rings, and 10 gold pearls, on the southern island of Rennesøy last month.
Bore was reportedly planning to head home for the day when he said his metal detector started beeping on the hillside of a farmer’s property. “At first I thought it was chocolate coins or Captain Sabertooth coins,” Bore said in a press release issued by the University of Stavanger, referring to a fictional Norwegian pirate. “It was totally unreal.”
The migration period in Norway lasted from 400 A.D. to about 550 A.D., marking a time when migration was widespread in Europe. “Given the location of the discovery and what we know from other similar finds, this is probably a matter of either hidden valuables or an offering to the gods during dramatic times,” Reiersen said in the press release.
Although Bore was required to turn over the gold to the museum, he and the landowner will receive a reward for the find. The National Antiquities Authority, which determines the amount, has not yet assessed the finder’s salary.
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