"This is the first time we have found a treasure of this type so close to Aarhus and it is both extraordinary and very interesting," Kasper Andersen, a historian at the Moesgaard Museum, told AFP.
The jewels, dating back to the 9th century, were used for ceremonial purposes but also as currency, with each piece made to a certain weight standard.
"This gives us a better idea of how the Vikings in this part of Scandinavia operated in a global world, from West Asia to the North Atlantic," the historian explained.
One of the bracelets, a spiral, is a piece inspired by Russian or Ukrainian models, while similar bracelets have been found in Ireland, Andersen said.
"We already knew about these types of rings, but these are ancient examples that link Scandinavia, and Aarhus in particular, with the East and the West," he stressed.
It was an archaeology student armed with a metal detector who made the discovery in the spring.
Gustav Brunsgaard, 22, first found a bracelet at a site north of Aarhus, the country's second largest city, and a few days later returned and found six more bracelets.
"We conducted a local excavation at the site where they were found, but found no other artifacts, so we assume someone buried them to hide them and never collected them," Andersen concluded. | BGNES
