VESTFOLD AND TELEMARK COUNTY, NORWAY—Two Viking brooches were discovered by a family looking for a lost earring with a metal detector on Norway’s southeastern island of Jomfruland, according to a Live Science report. Archaeologist Vibeke Lia of the Vestfold and Telemark County Council said that the artifacts confirm that people lived on the island in the Viking period, between A.D. 793 and 1066. The bronze ornaments have intricate carvings of animals and geometric patterns, bear traces of gold, and are thought to have come from the grave of an aristocratic woman who lived in the ninth century. The larger, oval brooch may have been used to fasten the shoulder straps of a halter dress. “They come in pairs, one for each strap, so there should be another one in there,” Lia said. The second brooch is circular, and is similar in shape to brooches unearthed in the Viking town of Ribe, Denmark. Lia explained that researchers will now assess the site and determine if it is in danger of deterioration. “If it’s safe there, then it will probably not be dug but preserved where it is,” she explained. For more, go to “Secrets of Scotland’s Viking Age Hoard.”

Source: archaeology.org