Post by UKarchaeology on Jul 13, 2015 15:16:01 GMT
Danish archaeologists have found 2,000 gold spirals buried in a field in Zealand that they suspect were used to adorn the ceremonial garbs of sun-worshiping priest-kings during the Bronze Age.
The Danish National Museum announced on Wednesday that archaeologists have uncovered a trove of gold spirals that may have been used for religious ceremonies during the Bronze Age, when the Danes’ ancestors worshiped the sun.
The spirals were recovered from a site that had been excavated before, where a team found four gold bracelets. Amateur archaeologist Christian Albertsen offered to continue searching the area on behalf of the local West Zealand Museum, believing there was more to be found – and he turned out to be right.
The some 2,000 gold spirals that were found have been dated as originating between 900-700 B.C.
Each spiral is made up of pure gold thread and measures up to three centimeters in length. The entire find weighs between 200-300 grammes.
Archaeologists are still unsure what the spirals may have been used for, as this is the first time such a find has been made in Denmark.
“Maybe the spirals were fastened to threads lining a hat or parasol. Maybe they were woven into hair or embroidered on a ceremonial garb. The fact is that we do not know, but I am inclined to believe that they were part of a priest-king’s garb or part of some headwear,” Flemming Kaul from the Danish National Museum said in a press release.
The excavation area – located in the Boeslunde district in southwestern Zealand – has been a veritable treasure trove of archaeological finds. This latest discovery makes it the area where the most gold jewellery and artefacts – in terms of sheer weight – have been recovered from the north European Bronze Age.
Each spiral is made up of pure gold thread and measures up to three centimeters in length. The entire find weighs between 200-300 grammes.
Archaeologists are still unsure what the spirals may have been used for, as this is the first time such a find has been made in Denmark.
“Maybe the spirals were fastened to threads lining a hat or parasol. Maybe they were woven into hair or embroidered on a ceremonial garb. The fact is that we do not know, but I am inclined to believe that they were part of a priest-king’s garb or part of some headwear,” Flemming Kaul from the Danish National Museum said in a press release.
The excavation area – located in the Boeslunde district in southwestern Zealand – has been a veritable treasure trove of archaeological finds. This latest discovery makes it the area where the most gold jewellery and artefacts – in terms of sheer weight – have been recovered from the north European Bronze Age.
(Source: www.thelocal.dk/20150708/danish-archaeologists-make-huge-bronze-age-find )