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Archaeologists in Norway have actually found a Viking Age treasure that had actually stayed “untouched” for more than 1,000 years.

The 4 silver bracelets had actually been buried almost 8 inches(20 centimeters) in the ground on a mountainside in Årdal, a town in southwestern Norway, according to an equated declaration from the University of Stavanger

“This is definitely the biggest thing I have experienced in my career,” Volker Demuthan archaeologist and job supervisor at the Archaeological Museum at the University of Stavanger, stated in the declaration.

Archaeologists discovered the bracelets ahead of building of a brand-new tractor roadway. Since a few of the ninth-century precious jewelry had actually twisted styles, scientists at first believed they had actually discovered copper wires in the soil.

“At first I thought it was a question of some twisted copper wires that you can often find in agricultural land, but [then] I saw that there were several lying next to each other and that they were not copper at all, but silver,” Ola Tengesdal Lygrea personnel engineer at the Museum of Archaeology at the University of Stavanger, stated in the declaration. “I realized that we had found something exciting.”

Related: ‘Spectacular silver treasure’ from Viking Age uncovered by university student on farm in Denmark

More expedition exposed that the place when housed a “large and powerful” Viking Age (A.D. 793 to 1066) farm making up numerous homes for individuals and animals, according to the declaration. The scientists discovered the buried bracelets within among the smaller sized structures, which likely housed enslaved people.

“This is a unique find, because we very rarely find such objects exactly where they were placed,” Demuth stated. “As a rule, such valuable objects are discovered on fields that have been plowed, where an object has been completely taken out of its original context. Since the silver hoard has not been moved, it can give us completely new insights into life and society in the Viking Age.”

In addition to the fashion jewelry, scientists found a range of artifacts, consisting of soapstone pots, rivets, knife blades and whetstones for honing tools. There’s likewise proof that the farm had actually been burned down, which “coincides with a period of great unrest in the Viking Age,” according to the declaration.

“If people who lived on this farm had to flee from an attack, it would be natural to hide away the valuables you had before escaping to the mountains,” Demuth stated. “And perhaps in a place where you would not have thought that a treasure was hidden.”

The scientists kept in mind that Norway didn’t have silver mines at that time, so the silver for the bracelets likely originated from abroad, likely through trade, presents or robbery. They’re not the only silver fashion jewelry discovered in this area; the bracelets’ style looks like that of silver pendants discovered in Hjelmeland in 1769, according to the declaration.

The block of earth surrounding the bracelets has actually been X-rayed at the Archaeological Museum. Next, the scientists prepare to take soil samples to find out, for example, whether the bracelets were covered in fabric throughout burial.

Jennifer Nalewicki is a Salt Lake City-based reporter whose work has actually been included in The New York Times, Smithsonian Magazine, Scientific American, Popular Mechanics and more. She covers a number of science subjects from world Earth to paleontology and archaeology to health and culture. Prior to freelancing, Jennifer held an Editor function sometimes Inc. Jennifer has a bachelor’s degree in Journalism from The University of Texas at Austin.

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