Mysterious Gold Foils With 'Astonishing Richness of Detail' Offer Glimpse of Ancient Scandinavian Religion

A sensational find in southeast Norway: five pieces of gold foil no larger than a piece of fingernail have made possible new interpretations of how people practiced ancient Scandinavian religion as far back as 1,400 years ago, stated Science Norway. These delicate artifacts, described as not getting "much more spectacular than this," are flat, thin, and predominantly square-shaped, featuring intricate stampings that offer glimpses into the Merovingian period's cultural richness.

"Despite their diminutive size, the motifs display an astonishing richness of detail," said Nicolai Eckhoff from the University of Oslo, Norway, who was also involved in the excavation, stated Ancient Origins. The scenes depict both males and females wearing clothes characteristic of the epoch: the women in sidle-dresses with mantles thrown over, and men in shorter skirts showing feet. Figures grasp drinking cups, wands, or rings, demonstrating the artistic accomplishments of this phase.

Of these treasures, three were discovered near the supposed temple walls and two in various postholes. This positioning has proved particularly significant, as lead archaeologist, Kathrine Stene, explained to Science Norway: "The gold foil figures in the post hole were not visible to people. Those we found on the wall would also not have been visible to others. So this doesn't appear to be an admission ticket, but rather an offering or a religious act to protect the building."

The discovery of the temple itself has an interesting origin story. In 1993, while driving along the E6 highway, County Conservator, Harald Jacobsen, noticed something peculiar with the soil. These casual observations gave way to preliminary excavations that revealed two gold foil figures, showing this site had something important to tell from its past. A further dig in the 2000s brought out 28 pieces, making Hov the richest site for such artifacts in Norway, stated CNN.

In Norwegian, these objects are called "gullgubber," roughly translated to "golden old men," and have so far been found only in Scandinavia, according to Science Norway. Although the Norwegian find of the same has remained relatively small, similar kinds of temples elsewhere have revealed impressive finds: 100 in Uppåkra in Sweden, and an astonishing 2,500 pieces were found in a field on the island of Bornholm in Denmark, stated Ancient Origins. The fact that the finds were well preserved was due to one unlikely factor—the fire during the Viking Age. As Eckhoff explained, fire made an additional casing in stone and debris, while gold is resistant to corrosion by its nature, which helped to protect the details of the figures for centuries, stated CNN.

These golden treasures were much more than mere trinkets. "I think for a regular person, (the foils) must first and foremost have been seen as objects of status," said Eckhoff, as per CNN. "It must have been a costly affair to sacrifice even such a small amount of gold, and even more when it is such a detailed work of craftsmanship. As such, to be able to sacrifice these figurines must have been a great show of power." Constant new finds have kept archaeologists hopeful. According to Ingunn Marit Røstad, a specialist at Oslo's Museum of Cultural History, there might still be more treasures hiding underground, according to CBS News.