Mysterious figures are 1500 years old, and as tiny as a fingernail. Scientists are shocked
10:34 AM EDT, October 17, 2023
They depict mysterious figures, and the first specimens were found in 1993. Gold foils, which experts estimate to be approximately 1500 years old, were identified in the remnants of a pagan temple. The latest discovery is exceptionally important and is expected to help unravel the mysteries of ancient society - as we read on the CNN portal.
Five golden treasures, standing at just under 0.4 inches tall, were found in Hov, Norway (Søndre Land municipality). Local scientists commonly refer to these types of objects as "gullgubbe". So far, 35 similar specimens have been found there and as archaeologist Marit Røstad explains, more than 3,000 golden plates have been uncovered throughout Scandinavia.
"They are found almost all over Scandinavia, but only in Scandinavia. They are scattered everywhere, so they must have meant something (...) and I think that it had to be significant," said Røstad.
The latest discovery was identified within the walls of the remnants of a pagan temple. Someone also deliberately placed them in the construction pillars. Therefore, this could signify that the small plates placed within the structure of the building act as a kind of "offering" to the building - explains archeologist Nicolai Eckhoff.
What mystery does the finding hide?
The design of the gold objects clearly indicates that each discovery may be approximately 1500 years old. Scientists argue that the patterns on the plates refer to the Merovingian period, (476-750 A.D.) who preceded the Vikings. However, their purpose is still unclear.
"There are many different suggestions as to the purpose of the plates. They must have been placed deliberately, so I think they were used to make some sort of sacrifice - probably in connection with certain rituals inside a pagan temple, possibly marriage rituals, as many of them depict couples" - suggests Røstad.
The latest discovery is exceptionally important. According to Margrethe Watt (Bornholm Museum), who notes that this type of discovery is almost never made in buildings. - Often they are not connected to buildings, they simply lie in the ground - explains Watt. Therefore, archaeologists can examine the origin of "gullgubbe" more precisely and determine its actual significance.
