Finding gold in Boeslunde , Denmark , is no huge surprisal — it ’s known as an area where Bronze Age gold offering are often uncover , as conservator there areexplaining this calendar month . But a recent discovery has surprise and mixed-up archeologist : 2,000 diminutive Au spirals . It ’s a “ golden enigma . ”
Boeslunde is in Zealand , the large island that sits between mainland Denmark and the tip of Sweden . It ’s a hotbed for archeology in Denmark since it has serve as a connective hub for K of years — nett recent determine as divers as1,000 - year - old viking jewelrytoactual fortressesin the past year . Boeslunde , where the helix were discover , is “ a especial hallowed place in the Bronze Age where prehistoric people performed their rite and offer gold to the gamey powers,”according to the Danish National Museum ’s curator , Flemming Kaul . The constant breakthrough of new atomic number 79 around the expanse has spur more exhaustive digs — include one by the National Museum and the local Museum Vestsjælland , which uncovered this new finding .
So , what exactly did they find ? Thousands of tightly - combat injury gold wires , each about one inch long , that together made up more than half a pounding of solid amber , which seems to have been buried in a wooden box lined with pelt which has long since disintegrate . Fascinatingly , no one ’s quite certain how these midget wire were in reality used — the museum telephone it “ a little mystery ” in itspress releaseabout the discovery , which dates from around 900 BC .

Flemming Kaul , Nationalmuseet
But researchers do have some guesses , including Kaul , who proposes that they were decorations meant to invoke the power of the sun on the clothing of a non-Christian priest or king . “ The sun was one of the most sacred symbols in the Bronze Age and gold had a special magic , ” he writes . “ Maybe the priest - king wear a atomic number 79 ring on his articulatio radiocarpea , and Au spirals on his cloak and his hat , where they during ritual sunlight ceremony shine like the sun . ” forget as cautiously as they were , they could have represented a sacrifice .
Unsurprisingly — after all , who does n’t bonk a proficient mystery affect vast sum of gold buried for thousands of years for unknown purposes — the breakthrough has spurred a vast amount of public interest . So much that on Wednesday , the local museum in Skaelskoris throw a regard result for two hour , along with a talk from a curator who will talk about the find . In the meanwhile , the lookup for more spirals — and maybe their purposes — continues in the gold field .

[ National Museum of Denmark ; h / tBBC ]
Images : Morten Petersen / Museum Vestsjælland
reach out to the author at[email protected ] .

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