– Finding someone like that is almost like an April Fool’s joke.
Terje Marken tells Dogbladet about what he found in a field in Romedel, Stang, on 14 May.
Ten centimeters below the ground, he dug up a golden bracte.
According to The Great Norwegian Encyclopedia Small, round, ornate gold jewelry from the Migration Period between 400 and 570 AD. They are thin gold foil and three to twelve centimeters in diameter.
NRK was the first to mention the case.
The discovery solves an old mystery
– Very rare with gold
Marken estimates that 95 percent is junk — foil, silver paper, beer cans, empty envelopes and wire. In addition, he has found several worthless coins that he wants to observe.
– There is a very small proportion of what can be described as “good findings”. So to speak, she says, it’s small enough to end up on the shelf.
Treasure hunt: Terje Marken has had the hobby for six years. Hours of what he describes as a treasure hunt are behind him. Photo: Private
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This is the sixth season where he searches for rarities with a metal detector. He happened to connect with someone who was doing just that, and learned quite a bit about the hobby.
– I think it’s like hunting and fishing or going on a treasure hunt. But I rarely find gold.
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– To be true
When he picked up the bag of gold, he didn’t understand what was in his hand at first. At first he thought it was a pewter button, but it felt heavier than that.
– I washed it down with some water and it began to dawn on me that it must be true.
Unclaimed objects from before 1537 are state property under the Cultural Heritage Act, so Marken sent an SMS to archaeologist May-Don Smitheth at the Inland County Municipality.
In her response, according to Morgan, she wrote that she was leaving the chair.
Similarity: The back of the gold cloth bears the same symbol that Norwegian cultural monuments are marked with today. Photo: Private
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He tells NRK that golden practeaters are extremely rare and only two specimens have previously been found indoors. He estimates the number to be around 100 on a national basis. TalkBladet could not be reached for comment from Smyseth on Saturday.
– First appeared in 1791 on an altar under a church. It says something about the distance between discoveries of objects like this, the archaeologist tells State Channel, which he says is the gold bractate found by Marken. Priceless.
He says the find in Marken is a little extra special because it’s almost identical to a gold bracte discovered in Denmark in 1861.
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It is in the museum
Margan said the gold piece was handed over to the district archaeologist and will probably go to Oslo and the Museum of Cultural History, where experts will take a closer look.
– How about seeing it in a museum one day?
– It’s going to be a lot of fun. Where is it?
– Isn’t it a bit tedious to hand over such a line?
– This is no less for archeology and history than I get as an inventor’s salary. Better not keep it in my vault at home, he replied, and take responsibility for it.
He says that the inventor’s salary should be shared equally between the landowner and the inventor. He didn’t know what it would be.
In retrospect, there have been many reactions.
– I have received many congratulations from village archaeologists and people in the Norwegian Metal Prospectors Association. Morgan says it’s positive and a little overwhelming.
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