A metal detectorist has uncovered a 1,000-year-old Viking gold braided arm ring on the Isle of Man, offering clues to skilled jewellery making from a millennium ago.
The find, dating to 1000AD to 1100AD, adds to our understanding of the Isle of Man’s rich Viking legacy, according to Manx National Heritage, a charitable trust dedicated to preserving the island’s cultural history.
The arm ring consists of eight strands of gold rods plaited together.
It was found by an amateur metal detectorist named Ronald Clucas.
“It was quite a big shock to discover this lovely piece of gold. I couldn’t really believe it at first!” Mr Clucas said.
“Gold generally gives a very low signal on the detector, so you can’t really predict what’s going to be uncovered.”
Researchers suspect the arm band, weighing nearly 28grams, was made by a skilled goldsmith using a specialised technique.
It was found folded in half, measuring about 4cm, meaning it would originally have been about 8cm long. “I’ve been detecting for many years now and found some wonderful things, but to find a piece of gold from the Viking Age, that’s really something else,” Mr Clucas said.
The Isle of Man was a Viking trading hub and later, after the 9th century, a settlement.
Previous research has shown the island had a dual economy where both coins and silver or gold bullion were used to pay for goods and services.
Although Viking gold is much rarer than silver finds on the island, experts suspect the recently discovered gold braided arm band may have also been used as currency in financial transactions.
“Jewellery items such as this had several functions in the Viking Age both as prized personal possessions and visible displays of wealth. They were easily portable and were also used to cover costs in financial transactions,” said Allison Fox, curator for archaeology at Manx National Heritage. “This arm ring has been cut twice, indicating it has possibly been used for at least two separate transactions. One cut removed the terminal end of the arm ring, the other one cut the original complete arm ring almost in half.”
It is unclear why the fragment of the arm ring was buried in the ground. “It may have been hidden for safekeeping, could just have been lost or may even have been buried as an offering to the Viking gods,” Ms Fox said.
The Viking treasure has been on display in the Viking Gallery at the Manx Museum in Douglas since 31 May.
