Trove linked to legendary Bluetooth
A 13-year-old boy and an amateur archaeologist have unearthed a “significant” treasure trove in Germany which may have belonged to the legendary Danish Viking king Harald Bluetooth who brought Christianity to Denmark.
Rene Schoen and his student Luca Malaschnitschenko were looking for treasure using metal detectors in January on northern Ruegen Island.
A dig covering 400 sq m that finally started last weekend by the regional archaeology service has since uncovered a trove believed linked to the Danish king who reigned from around 958 to 986. Braided necklaces, pearls, brooches, a Thor’s hammer, rings and up to 600 chipped coins were found, including more than 100 that date back to Bluetooth’s era. The oldest coin is a Damascus dirham dating to 714 while the most recent is a penny dating to 983.
“This trove is the biggest single discovery of Bluetooth coins in the southern Baltic sea region,” archaeologist Michael Schirren told DPA.
The find suggests that the treasure may have been buried in the late 980s — the period when Bluetooth was known to have fled to Pomerania where he died in 987. “[It’s] the rare case of a discovery that appears to corroborate historical sources,” said archaeologist Detlef Jantzen.
Bluetooth is credited with unifying Denmark. The Viking-born king turned his back on old Norse religion and introduced Christianity. He fled after a rebellion led by his son Sven Gabelbart. The wireless Bluetooth technology is named after him.