The family lives on the island of Jomfrulann, and their findings were the first direct evidence of this. The island was inhabited during the Viking period. This information was verified by the cultural heritage department of the city of Fülke Westphalia-et-Telemark and shared on its Facebook page.

A cup-shaped buckle found on the island of Jomfrulann/Kulturav i Vesfold og Telemark fylkeskommune

The use of the metal detector in this case made it possible to uncover a significant part of Norway’s historical past. This phenomenon is not uncommon, as there have already been cases where amateur archaeologists have made important findings.

• Recently, a 51-year-old Norwegian went to the island of Rennesay, where, with the help of a metal detector, he found a lot of gold jewelry, including ten necklaces (bracteat), three rings and ten gold beads.
• In another case, a young man found an ancient wooden bowl estimated to be 800-1000 years old during a boat trip on a Norwegian river.
• Besides these finds, an eight-year-old girl also found a dagger made of Neolithic flint near her school.

These finds confirm the rich history buried beneath Norway’s serene landscapes and show that even everyday activities can shed light on the past in surprising ways.

This latest find on the island of Jomfrulann opens a new chapter in our understanding of the Viking Age and reminds us that history is sometimes just a stone’s throw away, or in this case, a lost earring.