What appeared to be trash at first glance turned out to be a priceless Bronze Age relic. Tommy Karlsson, an orienteering enthusiast, came into a rich trove of 50 Bronze Age antiquities dating back over 2,500 years by mistake.
Tommy Karlsson discovered unusual Bronze Age jewelry in a Swedish forest in Alingss. Frida Nygrd/Sveriges Radio/Frida Nygrd/Sveriges Radio/Frida Nygrd/Sverige
Karlsson isn’t a treasure hunter, so this find caught him off guard. When the cartographer was out updating a map, he made the find.
“I was standing on a ledge when I noticed some scrap metal on the hill from the corner of my eye. I was a little startled because it wasn’t a typical scrap metal location. But then I noticed that it was an item that appeared to be vintage jewelry. Jewelry that is really old. But it appeared to be rather new, and not as expected,” Karlsson reveals in a Swedish Radio interview.
Karlsson phoned officials and archaeologists, who arrived at the site to examine the artifacts, and it was clear right away that this was a remarkable find.
One piece of Bronze Age adornment. Mats Hellgren/TT Nyhetsbyrn/TT Nyhetsbyrn/TT Nyhetsbyrn/TT Nyhetsbyr
According to archaeologists, the artifacts were buried as a gift to the Norse Gods. The jewelry belonged to a wealthy woman, or possibly several.
In a statement, Johan Ling, professor of archeology at the University of Gothenburg, said, “The majority of the findings are made up of bronze artifacts that can be identified with a woman of great status from the Bronze Age.”
A bronze foootring is a foootring composed of bronze. Mikael Agaton/TT Nyhetsbyrn/TT Nyhetsbyrn/TT Nyhetsbyrn/TT Nyhetsbyrn/TT
“They were used to ornament different body parts, such as necklaces, bracelets, and ankle bracelets,” Ling continued, “but there were also enormous needles and eyelets used to decorate and hold up different pieces of clothing, possibly made of wool.”
Ling further highlights that this is one of Sweden’s most significant Bronze Age finds.
It’s easy to reject uncovered artifacts as garbage, so it’s a good thing Tommy Karlsson looked twice, or we might never have known about this important archaeological find.
