Considered "spectacular" with a "fantastic" state of preservation, the discovery was made by chance in early April in a forest near the town of Alingsås in southwestern Sweden.
Objects from the Bronze Age presented in Gothenburg, on April 29, 2021 in Sweden
A Bronze Age hoard containing around 50 jewels and relics at least 2,500 years old has been discovered in Sweden by an orienteering enthusiast, authorities said Thursday when presenting the finds. Considered "spectacular" with a "fantastic" state of preservation, the discovery was made by chance in early April in a forest near the town of Alingsås in southwestern Sweden, local authorities said. The jewels were in the open in front of rocks, possibly after being dug up by animals.
Bronze Age artefacts presented in Gothenburg on April 29, 2021 in Sweden (TT News Agency/AFP - Adam IHSE)
"It looked like scrap metal. At first I thought it was a lamp" , said the discoverer, Tomas Karlsson. The orienteering fan, who was updating a map, then bent down and found a necklace and an ornament, he told the daily Dagens Nyheter. "Everything seemed so new, at first I thought it was fake" , he said. After reporting the find, a team of archaeologists came to examine the site.
Bronze Age artefacts presented in Gothenburg on April 29, 2021 in Sweden (TT News Agency/AFP - Adam IHSE)
According to Johan Ling, professor of archeology at the University of Gothenburg, "most of the objects found are bronze and are associated with a high-ranking woman from the Bronze Age". Dated between 750 and 500 BC. J.C., they include very well preserved necklaces, chains and clasps.