The gold pendants — flat, thin, single-sided gold medals called bracteates — date from around A.D. 500, experts say.

At first, the Norwegian man thought his metal detector reacted to chocolate money buried in the soil. It turned out to be nine pendants, three rings and 10 gold pearls in what was described as the country’s gold find of the century.

The rare find was made this summer by 51-year-old Erlend Bore on the southern island of Rennesoey, near the city of Stavanger. Bore had bought his first metal detector earlier this year to have a hobby after his doctor ordered him to get out instead of sitting on the couch.

“At first I thought it was chocolate coins or Captain Sabertooth coins,” said 51-year-old Erlend Bore, referring to a fictional Norwegian pirate. “It was totally unreal.”

  • @[email protected]
    22•10 months ago

    It turned out to be nine pendants, three rings and 10 gold pearls in what was described as the country’s gold find of the century.

    Huh. I knew gold is one of the few metals that you can find in pure elemental form in the Earth’s crust, but I had no idea it was already forged into pendants and jewelry and stuff! Geology really is fascinating.