Metal Detectorist Finds 11th-Century Gold Earring Believed to Be Gifted to Viking From Byzantine Emperor

Left: (Courtesy of Mette Klüver Rongsted/The National Museum of Denmark); Right: Courtesy of Søren Greve/The National Museum of Denmark

A rare, priceless, 11th-century gold earring found by a metal detectorist in Denmark has unearthed a fascinating history. The earring is believed by experts to have been gifted to a Viking chief by the emperor of Byzantium some 1,000 years ago, attesting to the Vikings’ far-reaching connections.

It is the only known earring of its kind in the whole of Scandinavia.