On the Danish island of Hjarno, a large burial of jewels has been discovered, many of which are made of pure gold.
In 536 AD, a volcano erupted in El Salvador. It is difficult to say what happened next: according to one hypothesis, this led to serious, but short-term climate changes that were felt throughout the Northern Hemisphere. In Northern Europe, this resulted in a series of cold years and crop failures.
Many Roman sources say that the Sun was dark around the clock, and, according to the "Syrian Chronicle", written by Zechariah of Mytilene from Greece, people fell into deep despair.
Greenlandic ice cores accurately indicate that the eruption occurred precisely in 536 - it was then that treasures were buried that are being discovered by amateur archaeologists throughout Scandinavia, including Teresa Refsgaard. The most recent discovery was made by amateurs on the Danish island of Hjarno, in Horsensfjord. It was an incredible and expensive find: more than 34 objects, 27 of which are pure gold.
One of the main questions archaeologists ask is: were these things buried together as a treasure, or is this an offering to the gods? Treasure is usually buried in a hurry and in an emergency. As a result, they are most often taken away after the danger has passed. As for the sacrifice, it must remain in the earth - as a gift to the gods. As it is written in the Yngling saga, sacrifices usually have a certain set of items that can be useful in Valhalla after death.
There are many indications that the recent find at Hjarno is such a sacrifice. It contains women's jewelry, gold beads and bracteates - thin gold discs with a small loop that women wore around their necks on a string or chain. Most likely, they belonged to a rich lady with a high social status. Among the items found were also small pieces of gold - most likely they served as money.
In the late summer of 2018, additional excavations were carried out at the Refsgaard find. As a result, twice as much gold was found there. In the coming years, Vejle museums will analyze the objects and find out where this gold came from, how it was processed, who brought it to Denmark and why it was buried in Hjarno.
Vladimir Guillen
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