Rare 1,500-year-old gold sword ornament found in Norway sheds light on pre-Viking era

A local resident in the Austrått district of Sandnes, on Norway's west coast, discovered a rare gold ornament from a ceremonial sword scabbard while probing the soil under a fallen tree. The object, dated to the first half of the 6th century AD, is about 1,500 years old and measures six centimeters wide, weighing 33 grams. It is the first such find in the region, with only seventeen comparable pieces known across Northern Europe. Specialists from the Museum of Archaeology at the University of Stavanger identified it as a major find for Scandinavian archaeology. The ornament features fine filigree work with twisted gold wires, depicting serpentine figures that may represent hybrid human-animal motifs, according to researcher Siv Kristoffersen. Archaeologist Håkon Reiersen noted the find's rarity and its likely use as a ceremonial item to display prestige. The piece was probably deposited as a ritual offering during a period of climatic crisis and plague in the 6th century, when gold was sacrificed to the gods. The discovery confirms the strategic importance of Rogaland county, where powerful elites controlled trade routes and farmland, with a power center at Hove. After study, the ornament will join the collections of the Museum of Archaeology at the University of Stavanger and be displayed to the public.