Archaeologists were able to find dozens of tiny figurines made of gold-foil at the remnants of an ancient pagan temple.
1,400-year-old Gold Figurines That Depict Norse Deities
The gold foils were extremely thin and flat, having the thinness of a single paper. Etched over the foils were motif depictions of the Frøy deity and Gerd goddess. These date back to Norway's Merovingian period, which started in the year 550 and went on until the Viking Age. The items could have been used to sacrifice offerings.
The pieces did not have any holes, which makes them unlikely to have served as ancient jewelry items. The foils were also tiny pieces that were roughly as big as a fingernail.
The earliest foils were found in 1725 in Scandinavia. They later gained the label "gullglubber," which means golden olden men.
Archaeologist Kathrine Stene who directed the excavation explains that the find is extremely special. Several of the gold foils, which total to around three dozen, were kept inside post holes that used to have support beams for the construction of Hov village. Other foils were spotted where the walls of the structure used to stand.
The small structure where the foils were found was initially discovered in 1993. The discovery came with two gold foils. Further excavations conducted in the 2000s led to the unearthing of 28 more foils.
This marks the first time that such foils were spotted in a smaller structure. Similar gold foils were previously found in Norway and throughout Scandinavian. They were spotted in other pagan structures in Denmark, Sweden, and Bornholm.
What Were the Gold Foils Used For?
In another excavation, archaeologists found 30 other similar foils somewhere else in Hov. Stene explains that it was shocking for them to find the foils in a small structure, as they can typically be found in specialized religious buildings.
Upon examining the postholes, the archaeologists were able to gauge the footprint of the structure. They then determined that it spanned roughly 15 meters. During this specific time, most structures were roughly 20 to 30 meters long.
Stene explains that the foils could have been placed in the area during the construction of the structure, though there has been speculation regarding the arrival of the foils. Stene explains that, upon considering where these foils were found, they think that these foils could not have served as entry tickets. It is likely that the gold foils may have been used as a sacrifice for the building to endure well.
The area where the foils were found is considered sacred for pagans.
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