A viking jewellery with mysterious background

A VIKING JEWELLERY WITH A MYSTERIOUS BACKGROUND FOUND IN JÄKÄRLÄ IN TURKU – ARCHAEOLOGISTS SURPRISED

On Thursday, June 16, 2022, archaeologist Jan Fast and his team encounter an object that appears to be a horseshoeshaped bronze buckle from the Viking Age. What, on the other hand, puzzles archaeologists is why and how the object ended up right there.

In Jäkärlä in Turku at the famous Stone Age settlement, archaeologists have now, with a smile on their face, been able to establish that they have found an object from the Viking Age. Over a two-year period, archaeologists from all over Finland and abroad have become interested in the site, partly because of the many interesting objects found there, and partly because of how historically instructive objects have been accessed. – What we found yesterday was really surprising. In the sand was a piece of Jewellery from the Iron Age about 8001000 AD. A thousand-year-old metal object without any more explanations for why or how it ended up there, says archaeologist Jan Fast.

The Stone Age settlement in Jäkärlä was a beach area during the Stone Age 6,000 years ago. But during the Viking Age 5,000 years later, it was a very remote area and lacked buildings, which in itself raises questions about why anyone moved in the area at all then. A small watercourse made possible fishing and transport, but the area did not have other important living conditions at that time. – It feels strange that someone has dropped an object like this in a place like this, says Fast.

WHY WAS THE JEWELLERY IN SUCH A REMOTE PLACE?

The bronze buckle was part of the female attire of the Vikings of that time. The buckle held the upholstery together and is not very small, which further puzzled the archaeologists. Without the buckle, it was difficult to keep the clothes on.

According to Fast, the buckle probably has a gloomy, somewhat dramatic background to why it ended up there. – Someone here has probably had an accident and the buckle has thus been here on the site for a thousand years.

Jan Fast during excavations in Jäkärlä 2021.

A piece of jewelery from the Viking Age has been found in the Stone Age settlement in Jäkärlä.

Photo: Jan Fast

Normally, Iron Age objects in Finland are found in the upper soil layer, below the peat. Grave finds are found deeper in the ground. The current span, archaeologists were able to excavate from a level of about 15 centimeters below the ground. At this stage, archaeologists do not want to draw conclusions based on the level at which the object was found, as they are awaiting answers from experts and further investigations.

WHEN WILL WE SEE THE JEWELLERY?

The archaeologists have now taken measures to preserve the object to the best of their ability in order to be able to examine the buckle more closely.

At the moment, the buckle is placed airtight, wrapped in damp paper and finally placed in a cold refrigerator. This protects the buckle from wear and tear, which can easily ruin the historical value of items like this.

The surveys will provide answers to several of the questions that Jan Fast and his colleagues are now scratching their heads over. For example, archaeologists can rule out several theories about whether textiles are found on the object. This would mean that the clothes have also been left on site and that the buckle is no longer a detached find.

When the investigations are complete, the buckle will be moved to the National Museum's collections. So far, the object is still an important addition to the cultural-historical value for Jäkärlä. The archaeologists continue their work at the former Stone Age settlement and eagerly await the following finds.

The people who help with the excavations in Jäkärlä are participants in Arbiskurser. ■