Category Archives: WORLD

AFRICA, EGYPT, WORLD

These mysterious Egyptian head cones actually existed, grave find reveals

These mysterious Egyptian head cones actually existed, grave find reveals

Researchers have revealed details of mysterious cone-shaped headgear discovered at the ancient Egyptian city of Amarna.

Two figures wearing head cones in a wall painting from Akhetaten, Egypt

“Ancient Egyptian art frequently depicted people wearing cone-shaped headgear, but none had ever been found,” the researchers explained in a statement emailed to Fox News.

Archaeologists from the Amarna project have been working with Egypt’s Ministry of Antiquities to analyze the mysterious head cones. A head cone was discovered at a grave in Amarna in 2010 and another head cone was uncovered at the site five years later.

“This confirms the objects actually existed, which some researchers were sceptical of,” the researchers added in the statement. “Instead, they thought they were just artistic additions, like Christian halos.”

“It is unknown why these cones were included in the burials,” the experts continued. “They may have been thought to purify the wearer so they could engage with the rituals and deities of the afterlife. Alternatively, they could be connected with ideas of fertility and resurrection.”

A grave at Amarna with the remains of a head cone.

A paper on the research is published in the journal Antiquity.

Egypt continues to reveal new details of its right history. Archaeologists, for example, recently discovered a long-lost 2,200-year-old ancient temple linked to Pharaoh Ptolemy IV.

In a separate project, an ancient fortress built by Pharaoh Ramses II is revealing its secrets. Archaeologists recently uncovered an ancient cemetery near the famous Giza pyramids just outside Cairo.

Depictions of head cones in Ancient Egyptian art from the ancient city of Amarna.

In another project, experts uncovered the 2,500-year-old remains of a powerful high priest in dramatic fashion.

The opening of the priest’s stone sarcophagus was broadcast by the Discovery Channel during “Expedition Unknown: Egypt Live,” a two-hour live event. Archaeologists discovered what they describe as an “exquisitely preserved” mummy inside the sealed sarcophagus, covered in gold banding.

The incredible find was made at Al-Ghorifa, a remote site about 165 miles south of Cairo. Located within the inner chambers of the burial site, experts accessed the sarcophagus via a network of ancient tunnels.

Elsewhere, archaeologists found a large ram-headed sphinx that is linked to King Tutankhamun’s grandfather. In other projects, a teenage girl’s skeleton was discovered in a mysterious grave near the Meidum pyramid, south of Cairo.

In April, experts announced the discovery of dozens of mummies in ancient desert burial chambers. Archaeologists also recently explained the strange brown spots on some of the paintings in King Tutankhamun’s tomb.

In January, archaeologists announced the discovery of ancient tombs in the Nile Delta north of Cairo. In a separate project, two ancient tombs dating back to the Roman period were uncovered in Egypt’s the Western Desert.

Archaeologists discovered a stunning sphinx statue at an ancient temple in southern Egypt in a separate project.

Last summer, experts unlocked the secrets of a mysterious ancient ‘cursed’ black granite sarcophagus. The massive coffin, which was excavated in the city of Alexandria, was found to contain three skeletons and gold sheets with the remains.

Archaeologists also found the oldest solid cheese in the tomb of Ptahmes, mayor of the ancient city of Memphis.

A mummy buried in southern Egypt more than 5,000 years ago has also revealed its grisly secrets, shedding new light on prehistoric embalming practices.

NORTH AMERICA, WORLD

Enigmalith: A 100,000-Year-Old electrical connector found embedded In Stone

Enigmalith: A 100,000-Year-Old electrical connector found embedded In Stone

This electrical connector is one of the artefacts that are less known, yet its characteristics are incredibly interesting. According to experts who have analyzed the artefact, estimated it to be approximately 100,000-year-old. Over the years, dozens of objects have been discovered that do not fit in the mainstream insight of history, archaeology, and anthropology.

The Alien electrical connector was discovered in 1998 when electrical engineer John. J. Williams found what appeared to be an electrical connector protruding from the ground on a hiking trip in North America.
The object was found in the middle of nowhere, far away from any sort of human settlements, industrial complexes, airports, factories, and electronic or nuclear plants.

After digging deeper into the ground, Williams discovered a device with a triple plug, embedded into the rock.

Williams did not tell the exact location where the electric connector was found, which has led sceptics to conclude that this artefact is just another hoax.

But the further revelation about the characteristics of this artefact says otherwise.

The artifact is now referred to as the Petradox.

A device that has the undeniable aspect of an electrical component that ended up embedded into solid granite, stone composed of quartz and feldspar, with small traces of mica.

There is a huge amount of secrecy surrounding this electric connector.
Numerous offers of up to 500,000 dollars for the device have been made to Williams but he has denied the offers.

He has refused to sell it.

Though, he stated that the artefact, however, is available to any researchers for analysis. So far, only a few researchers have analyzed this mysterious object, resembling without a doubt an electrical component.

The Petradox is not an accretion, concretion, pumice, or fossil.
It does not contain any known resins, cement, glues, adhesives, limestone, mortar, or other non-rhyolite / non-granite binding agents.
It is a hard substance.

The alleged electric connector itself is about 8 mm in diameter; the pins of the device are about 3 mm high, and the spacing between the pins is approximately 2.5 mm while the pin thickness is about 1 mm.

Researchers believe that the rock is at least 100,000 years old, something impossible if you believe that the object is of artificial origin.
The conventional understanding of the technological development of mankind tells us that there is no way humans could have made something like this at that time in history.

As per Williams, who has consulted an engineer and geologist to analyze the object. The electric connector embedded in the granite reveals no trace of having been glued or welded in any known form, it is clear that the object already existed at the time of the formation of the rock.

The artefact has a weak magnetic attraction, Ohmmeter readings indicate either open-circuit or very high impedance between the pins. The artefact has been compared to an electronic connector or any other similar electrical component.

Apparently, it is not made up of wood, plastic, metal, rubber, or any other identifiable material. The founder of the artefact has not allowed the object to be divided into half for analysis but X-ray results have shown that the artefact consists of an enigmatic opaque internal structure in the centre of the stone.

According to Williams, melted blobs of a metallic-like material on the component’s periphery suggests that some metal object near the Petradox was subjected to high temperatures to melt the metal and molten metal splashing onto the embedded component.

William is strongly convinced that he has found a genuine artefact that belonged to an advanced ancient civilization or an extraterrestrial race.
He is willing to let researchers authenticate the artefact under certain conditions. The first condition laid down by him is that he would be present during the analysis, and the second, that the rock remains unharmed.

The artifact has two possibilities.

Either scientific analysis could confirm it as being an elaborate hoax, or it could radically change our understanding of the history of mankind and change the way we look at history and our origins. No trace of glue or welding suggests that the object already existed at the time of the formation of the rock.

Many believe that science does not have an interest in these objects because they are afraid of what they might find out.

You might also be interested in watching this interesting video about the 2000 years old enigmatic Dropa Stones which are considered evidence Of ancient aliens.

ENGLAND, IRELAND, WORLD

1,000-Year-Old Ink Pen Found in Ringfort is Ireland’s Oldest

1,000-Year-Old lnk Pen Found in Ringfort is Ireland’s Oldest

The British Isles’ oldest-known ink pen has been found during excavations of a Cashel, or stone fort, in County Clare. Archaeologist Michelle Comber of the National University of Ireland, Galway unearthed the 1,000-year-old writing implement from the Caherconnell Cashel.

Ireland’s oldest ink pen was discovered at the Caherconnell Cashel ringfort among many fine craftworking and metalwork tools.

This 140-foot-wide ringfort was built in the late 10th century and would have been home to wealthy — and, it seems, literate — local rulers until the early 1600s. Other artefacts from the site have shown that the occupants engaged in varied pursuits, from fine craftworking and metalwork to trade, games and music.

Most examples of early literacy in Ireland come from the Church, whose hardworking scribes painstakingly copied all manner of ecclesiastical texts. 

Most famous, perhaps, is the Book of Kells — a manuscript created in honour of Christ in 800 AD that is resplendent with elaborate calligraphy and illustrations. However, Dr Comber believes that the individual who used the Caherconnell pen likely did so in order to record more mundane things like family lineages and trades.

Dr Comber told MailOnline that the bone-and-metal Caherconnell pen is the earliest complete example of a composite pen from anywhere within the British Isles.

1,000-Year-Old lnk Pen Found in Ringfort is Ireland’s Oldest
Ireland’s oldest-known ink pen (pictured) — which sports a hollow bone barrel and copper-alloy nib — has been found during excavations of a Cashel, or stone fort, in County Clare

Earlier in British history, however, the Romans were known to use pens that were made entirely of a copper-alloy, rather than sporting a separate barrel and nib.

In England, several copper-alloy nibs have been found, albeit without the necessary barrel, dating from between the 13th and 16th centuries. On the flip side, a couple of hollow bone pen shafts have been recovered from the London area that data to the 13th–15th centuries. 

If, as suspected given their lack of splint point, these were originally used with attached nibs — much like the Caherconnell pen — such have been long lost.

According to Dr Comber, perhaps the most curious part of the discovery is the context from which it appears to have originated, namely in a secular, rather than religious, setting.

Perhaps the most curious part of the discovery of the pen (pictured) is the context from which it appears to have originated — namely in a secular, rather than religious, setting

‘The Caherconnell Archaeology project has been a hugely rewarding one, with many unexpected and exciting discoveries along the way,’ the archaeologist explained.

‘This find has, however, exceeded all expectations, revealing the tantalising prospect of an advanced secular literacy in 11th-century Ireland.’

The fact that most known evidence of early literacy in Ireland is associated instead with the Church — and no pen of this age or type had previously been found — led Dr Comber to seek confirmation that the artefact could, indeed, have functioned as a writing tool.

Accordingly, she teamed up with experimental archaeologist Adam Parsons of Blueaxe Reproductions to fabricate a replica of the historical implement. 

Dr Comber teamed up with experimental archaeologist Adam Parsons of Blueaxe Reproductions to fabricate a replica (pictured) of the historical implement — enabling the duo to demonstrate that the artefact would have worked perfectly as a dip pen

When put through its paces, the duo found that the modern duplicate does work — and its original counterpart would have worked — just perfectly as a dip pen.

Dip pens are those that have no ink reservoir as is characteristic of modern fountain pens and need to be returned to a well frequently to replenish their supply. This in itself set the Caherconnell pen apart, as the more common writing implement in the 11th century would have been the feather quill.

According to expert calligrapher and historian Tim O’Neill, the design of the Caherconnell pen would have lent it well for use on fine work — perhaps even the drawing of fine lines.

‘A metal pen from such an early date is still hard to credit,’ Mr O’Neill said.

‘But the fact that it functions with ink is there to see. It would have worked well for ruling straight lines — to form, for instance, a frame for a page.’ 

DENMARK, EUROPE, WORLD

Neolithic And Bronze Age Burial Mounds With Remains Of Five Children Found In Denmark

Neolithic And Bronze Age Burial Mounds With Remains Of Five Children Found In Denmark

It is extremely rare that burial mounds with children’s remains are discovered in Denmark, so it’s a big deal when some are located.

Recently, the remains of five children were found in an excavation in Hedehusene, Denmark. To find five sets of remains in one spot is very thrilling to researchers.

The remains of the children were spread over two separate graves. The first was a collective grave from the late Neolithic period (2400-1700 BCE) and contained the remains of four skeletons of children.

Neolithic And Bronze Age Burial Mounds With Remains Of Five Children Found In Denmark
Rock coffin containing four children’s skeletons. The small flint dagger is the dark gray object on the right side just above the centre of the grave.

Three out of the four children in this collective grave were aged three to four years old, while the last child was a little older. The second grave was for a single individual and dates from the Bronze Age (1700-500 BCE).

One of the children in the collective grave was buried with a flint dagger as a burial gift, while the child from the single grave was found buried with a bronze ring attached to its head.

Archaeologist Katrine Ipsen Kjær explains the significance of this find, stating, “Right now it seems like it’s a graveyard dedicated to children. It is interesting in itself with a burial site with so far a time span between the individual graves.

It seems as if it was known to be a children’s cemetery. It is a mystery why only children are buried here. However, we cannot rule out that adults may have been buried here. For example, we have found a bronze blade at the top of the burial mound, and this is not a typical funerary gift for children.”

Little flint dagger was the only burial gift found in the collective grave.

It is a rare phenomenon for archaeologists to find any children buried anywhere before the Stone Age. As Kjær explains, “it is only graves from the late Middle Ages (1300-1400 AD) that it becomes more common to find children’s graves. Where have all the older children’s graves gone? It is actually a big mystery.

We know that infant mortality was high so there should be many child graves As in this case, we archaeologists occasionally find children’s graves but we don’t find as many as there should be. Were children only rarely buried? Did they have other burial rituals for children? Did the little bones just disappear over time?”

The bones of the skeletons found were well preserved. Katrine Ipsen Kjær hopes to find traces of DNA in the bones that could give archaeologists answers about who these children were.

DNA could provide clues as to how the children died. If the four children were buried in the collective grave in a short period of time, that could be an indication of an infectious disease.

It is rare for bones this old to still have traces of DNA, but archaeologists are hopeful to obtain some as they are quite curious to find some answers.

ENGLAND, SCOTLAND, WORLD

Viking sword discovered on Papa Westray, Orkney has ‘many stories to tell’

Viking sword discovered on Papa Westray, Orkney has ‘many stories to tell’

A Viking sword found at a burial site in Orkney is a rare, exciting and complex artefact, say archaeologists. The find, made in 2015 on the northeast coast of Papa Westray, is being carefully examined as part of post-excavation work.

The sword was found at a Viking burial site on Papa Westray, Orkney

Archaeologists have now identified it as a type of heavy sword associated with the 9th Century. The relic is heavily corroded, but x-rays have revealed the sword’s guards to be highly decorated.

Contrasting metals are thought to have been used to create a honeycomb-like pattern.

Archaeologists examining the weapon said it had “many stories to tell”.

The remains of a scabbard, a sheath for the blade, was also found.

AOC Archaeology’s Andrew Morrison, Caroline Paterson and Dr Stephen Harrison suggested there was more information still to be gleaned from the finds.

The sword’s upper and lower guards are highly decorated

In a statement, the team said: “To preserve as much evidence as possible, we lifted the whole sword and its surrounding soil in a block to be transported to the lab and forensically excavated there.

“It’s so fragile we don’t even know what the underside looks like yet, so our understanding is sure to change in the coming months.

“The iron in the sword has heavily corroded, with many of the striking details only visible through x-ray.”

The excavations at Mayback revealed a number of finds, including evidence of a rare Viking boat burial, and a second grave with weapons, including the sword.

Archaeologists said the graves maybe those of first-generation Norwegian settlers on Orkney.

AOC Archaeology has been working with Historic Environment Scotland on the research.

ASIA, ISRAEL, WORLD

Israel Returns Smuggled Artifacts to Egypt

Israel Returns Smuggled Artifacts to Egypt

Foreign Minister Yair Lapid on Thursday presented his Egyptian counterpart Sameh Shoukry with dozens of Egyptian relics that were illegally smuggled into Israel. Lapid met Shoukry in Cairo after first holding talks with President Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi.

Eli Eskozido, Director of the Israel Antiquities Authority, joined Lapid to hand over the 95 artefacts, which included two stone tablets with hieroglyphic writing, a piece of a sarcophagus with hieroglyphics, papyrus documents and dozens of small idols of Egyptian gods.

The items were laid out on a table covered in a green tablecloth as Eskozido and Lapid officially transferred them over to Egypt.

Four of the relics were nabbed by Israeli customs agents in 2013 as an Israeli antiquities dealer tried to bring them into the country through Ben Gurion Airport after purchasing them in Oxford, England. Israel alerted Egyptian authorities through Interpol, and after a legal battle, the relics were handed over to Israel in 2015.

The other Egyptian artefacts were found in a Jerusalem antiquities dealership in August 2013. IAA and Foreign Ministry officials met with Egypt’s ambassador in September of that year and agreed to conduct a joint investigation.

The next month, 91 relics were seized from the shop. During the ensuing legal process, Egypt sent documentation of the artefacts and expert opinion from Yousef Hamed Khalifa, the director of Cairo and Giza for the Egyptian Tourism and Antiquities Ministry.

As a compromise, the dealer handed the items over to Israeli authorities.

IAA head Eli Eskozido (L) and IAA Robbery Prevention Unit head Amir Ganor examine looted Egyptian artifacts returned to Egypt by Eskozido and Foreign Minister Yair Lapid (Yoli Schwartz/IAA)

“The Antiquities Authority praises Foreign Minister Lapid’s initiative and is happy it was able to help the Egyptian authorities return to the Egyptian people Egyptian cultural artefacts that were stolen from Egypt,” Eskozido said in a statement.

“Israel and the Antiquities Authority are interested in working in concert with the Egyptian authorities to protect archaeological treasures that belong to humanity’s culture. It is vital to act to stymie the stealing of antiquities and the illegal trade in antiquities across the world.

The IAA is eager to tighten cooperation with the Egyptian Supreme Council of Antiquities on archaeology and research.”

Earlier in the day, Lapid met with Sissi in Cairo, where the two discussed the Iranian threat and Israel’s attempts to reach a long-term ceasefire agreement with the Hamas terror group in Gaza.

Some of the 95 looted artifacts returned to Egypt by Foreign Minister Yair Lapid and IAA head Eli Eskozido, December 9, 2021 (Yoli Schwartz/IAA)

Lapid and Sissi spoke about Tehran’s nuclear program and the threat to regional stability posed by its support for armed proxy groups, according to the Foreign Ministry.

Lapid also presented his vision for Gaza, which would offer economic incentives in return for an end to Hamas attacks, and discussed the issue of Israeli civilians and the remains of two Israeli soldiers being held in the Strip.

“Egypt is an especially important strategic partner for Israel,” Lapid said in a statement after the meeting. “My goal is to strengthen our security, diplomatic, and economic ties with Egypt.

It is important to continue to work on the peace between the two nations.

I thank President Sissi, whose contribution to the region and to the ties between us are of historic proportions, for the hospitality, and for the warm and open meeting.”

Some of the 95 stolen artefacts returned to Egypt by Foreign Minister Yair Lapid and IAA head Eli Eskozido, December 9, 2021 (Yoli Schwartz/IAA)

Lapid previously met with Shoukry in July, when the two men were in Brussels for an EU conference.

Lapid’s visit to Egypt follows Prime Minister Naftali Bennett’s meeting at Sharm el-Sheikh with Sissi in September, the first such summit between Israeli and Egyptian leaders in more than a decade.

The rest of the relics were held in an antique store in Jerusalem. Egypt said they had been stolen.
NORTH AMERICA, U.S.A, WORLD

Alien-like fish with a translucent head that exposes its green eyes is spotted near California

Alien-like fish with a translucent head that exposes its green eyes is spotted near California

There is an alien-like fish that lives some 2,000 feet below the ocean off the coast of California that has a translucent head that exposes its glowing eyes. Called the barreley fish, the deep-sea creature was spotted by the Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute (MBARI) using its remote-operated vehicle (ROV).

‘MBARI’s remotely operated vehicles Ventana and Doc Ricketts have logged more than 5,600 successful dives and recorded more than 27,600 hours of video—yet we’ve only encountered this fish nine times,’ the video description reads.

The elusive fish has two small indentations where its eyes would normally be, but instead, its eyes are two glowing green orbs behind its face that gaze up towards the top of its head.

Alien-like fish with a translucent head that exposes its green eyes is spotted near California
There is an alien-like fish that lives some 2,000 feet below ocean off the coast of California that has a see-through head that exposes its glowing eyes

Its eyes are in that position to allow the creature to scan the waters above it for food, since it lives so deep where food is scarce, along with allowing it to rotate its eyes forward.

The barreley fish was spotted on an expedition led by Rachel Carson in Monterey Bay off the coast of California last week, but it was first described in 1939, CNET reports.

While its body is mostly dark, the top part of its head is transparent and its eyes are clearly visible. According to evolutionary biologists, the fish developed such a powerful sense of sight as a result of the harsh environment it lives in, where no sunlight can reach.

Its eyes are known as tubular eyes, which are typically among deep-sea creatures, consisting of a multi-layer retina and a big lens, which allows them to detect the maximum quantity of light in one direction.

The elusive fish has two small indentations where its eyes would normally be, but instead, its eyes are two glowing green orbs behind its face that gaze up towards the top of its head

However, the eyes were believed to be fixed in place and seemed to provide only a ‘tunnel-vision’ view of whatever was directly above the fish’s head – this was the theory until 2019.

In 2019, a new study showed that the fish’s unusual eyes can rotate within a transparent shield that covers its head, allowing it to look up for food and forward to see what it is eating. 

The marine biologists also found that it uses its large, flat fins to remain motionless in the water.

The barreley fish was spotted on an expedition led by Rachel Carson in Monterey Bay off the coast of California last week, but it was first described in 1939

This means that creatures around it cannot see it clearly. Predators lurking above it cannot spot it either, however, it can look upwards to hunt for the small fish and plankton it lives off.

When a suitable morsel is identified, the barreleye fish attacks out of the darkness and swiftly engulfs its prey.

To avoid looking at the sun when it moves into shallower waters, the creature’s eyes can rotate to look forward so it can see where it is swimming.

Its amazing eyes glow a bright green and researchers believe it may have developed a form of light filter which allows it to ignore the sunlight and spot the bioluminescence of small fish and jellyfish – its favourite food.

DENMARK, EUROPE, WORLD

11th-century Gold earring discovered in Denmark

11th-century Gold earring discovered in Denmark

A stunning gold earring discovered in Denmark may have been gifted by the Emperor of Byzantium to a Viking chief 1,000 years ago, experts claim. Dating from the 11th century, the ‘completely unique’ gold jewellery has never been seen before in the Nordic countries.

Likely one of a pair, it was found by a metal detectorist in a field near Bøvling in West Jutland, Denmark. It’s thought to have been originally crafted in Byzantium or Egypt and is potential evidence the Vikings had connections all the way around the Mediterranean.

The Byzantine Empire (395 to 1204 and 1261 to 1453), also known as the Eastern Roman Empire or Byzantium, was a powerful civilization based in Constantinople (modern-day Istanbul).  

11th-century Gold earring discovered in Denmark A stunning gold earring discovered in Denmark may have been gifted by the Emperor of Byzantium to a Viking chief 1,000 years ago, experts claim. Dating from the 11th century, the 'completely unique' gold jewellery has never been seen before in the Nordic countries. Likely one of a pair, it was found by a metal detectorist in a field near Bøvling in West Jutland, Denmark. It's thought to have been originally crafted in Byzantium or Egypt and is potential evidence the Vikings had connections all the way around the Mediterranean. The Byzantine Empire (395 to 1204 and 1261 to 1453), also known as the Eastern Roman Empire or Byzantium, was a powerful civilization based at Constantinople (modern-day Istanbul).   It's now being exhibited in Denmark National Museum's Viking exhibition 'Togtet', which translates as 'The Cruise' and is all about Viking travels to the Middle East. Experts have so far been unable to find a similar earring in the area that may have formed a pair.   'It is completely unique to us, we only know of 10 to 12 other specimens in the whole world, and we have never found one in Scandinavia before,' said Peter Pentz, inspector at the National Museum Denmark.  'We had expected to find such a fine and invaluable piece of jewellery like this together with a large gold treasure or in a royal tomb and not on a random field in Bøvling.'  The find consists of a crescent-shaped gold plate inserted in a frame made of gold threads adorned with small gold balls and gold ribbons.  Its crescent-shaped plate is covered with an enamel, now slightly cracked, which would have been created by a special technique involving breaking and powdering glass before melting it with metal so it becomes opaque.  The motif of the enamel is two stylised birds around a tree or a plant, which symbolises the tree of life. This type of jewellery is known especially from Muslim Egypt and Syria and from Byzantium and Russia.  In terms of style and craftsmanship, it's similar to the Dagmark cross – an 11th or 12th-century Byzantine relic. The earring and the Dagmark Cross are thought to both date from the Viking Age or the earliest Middle Ages and were likely not traded but donated by kings and emperors. That explains why the Dagmark cross was found in a queen's grave, at St. Bendt's Church in Ringsted, Denmark in 1683. In contrast, the new treasure was found in a field in Bøvling without known Viking sites nearby, so how it ended up there is therefore a bit of a mystery.  The discoverer of the priceless find was 54-year-old Frants Fugl Vestergaard, who had searched the field many times before in the hunt for 'danefæ' – gold and silver in the earth without an owner.  As his detector gave a faint bleep, he picked up a clump of earth and crushed it in his hand to find the earring peeping out.  '"Stop it", I think, and then time stands still for me,' he told the National Museum. 'I get very humbled and wondered why I should find that piece and then even in West Jutland, where there is so much between the finds. It's like getting a text from the past.  'You always yearn to find something beautiful, a top find, and then you suddenly have it in your hands. It is completely inconceivable.'   One explanation for how it got there may be that many Vikings went into war service for the Byzantine emperor, who had a bodyguard consisting of warriors from Scandinavia.  Icelandic sagas show that mercenaries came home from the East with silk and weapons, and it is also said that the emperor occasionally donated fine gifts to his bodyguard. So the earring could have been given personally by the emperor to a trusted Viking in the bodyguard and was then lost under unknown circumstances in Denmark.  The find confirms that West Jutland has always had strong connections around the world,' said Astrid Toftdal Jensen, an inspector at Holstebro Museum, which is near its finding place. Jensen hopes the earring can be lent to the museum at a later date so that it can be seen in the area where it was found.        
The earring has an email, now slightly cracked, formed in a motif of two stylised birds around a tree or a plant, which symbolises the tree of life

It’s now being exhibited in Denmark National Museum’s Viking exhibition ‘Togtet’, which translates as ‘The Cruise’ and is all about Viking travels to the Middle East. Experts have so far been unable to find a similar earring in the area that may have formed a pair.  

‘It is completely unique to us, we only know of 10 to 12 other specimens in the whole world, and we have never found one in Scandinavia before,’ said Peter Pentz, inspector at the National Museum Denmark. 

‘We had expected to find such a fine and invaluable piece of jewellery like this together with a large gold treasure or in a royal tomb and not on a random field in Bøvling.’ 

The find consists of a crescent-shaped gold plate inserted in a frame made of gold threads adorned with small gold balls and gold ribbons. 

Its crescent-shaped plate is covered with an enamel, now slightly cracked, which would have been created by a special technique involving breaking and powdering glass before melting it with metal so it becomes opaque. 

The motif of the enamel is two stylised birds around a tree or a plant, which symbolises the tree of life. This type of jewellery is known especially from Muslim Egypt and Syria and from Byzantium and Russia. 

Back of the earring. The find consists of a crescent-shaped gold plate inserted in a frame made of gold threads adorned with small gold balls and gold ribbons

In terms of style and craftsmanship, it’s similar to the Dagmark cross – an 11th or 12th-century Byzantine relic. The earring and the Dagmark Cross are thought to both date from the Viking Age or the earliest Middle Ages and were likely not traded but donated by kings and emperors.

That explains why the Dagmark cross was found in a queen’s grave, at St. Bendt’s Church in Ringsted, Denmark in 1683. In contrast, the new treasure was found in a field in Bøvling without known Viking sites nearby, so how it ended up there is, therefore, a bit of a mystery. 

The earring and the Dagmark Cross (pictured) are thought to both date from the Viking Age or the earliest Middle Ages

The discoverer of the priceless find was 54-year-old Frants Fugl Vestergaard, who had searched the field many times before in the hunt for ‘danefæ’ – gold and silver in the earth without an owner. 

As his detector gave a faint bleep, he picked up a clump of earth and crushed it in his hand to find the earring peeping out. 

‘”Stop it”, I think, and then time stands still for me,’ he told the National Museum.

‘I get very humbled and wondered why I should find that piece and then even in West Jutland, where there is so much between the finds. It’s like getting a text from the past. 

It’s now being exhibited in Denmark National Museum’s Viking exhibition ‘Togtet’, which translates as ‘The Cruise’ and is all about Viking travels to the Middle East

‘You always yearn to find something beautiful, a top find, and then you suddenly have it in your hands. It is completely inconceivable.’  

One explanation for how it got there may be that many Vikings went into war service for the Byzantine emperor, who had a bodyguard consisting of warriors from Scandinavia. 

Icelandic sagas show that mercenaries came home from the East with silk and weapons, and it is also said that the emperor occasionally donated fine gifts to his bodyguard.

So the earring could have been given personally by the emperor to a trusted Viking in the bodyguard and was then lost under unknown circumstances in Denmark. 

The find confirms that West Jutland has always had strong connections around the world,’ said Astrid Toftdal Jensen, an inspector at Holstebro Museum, which is near its finding place. Jensen hopes the earring can be lent to the museum at a later date so that it can be seen in the area where it was found.