A Bronze Age treasure containing around 50 jewels and relics at least 2,500 years old has been discovered in Sweden by an orienteering enthusiast, authorities said Thursday when presenting the finds.
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Deemed to be "
spectacular
" with a "
fantastic
"
state of conservation
, the discovery was made by chance in early April in a forest near the town of Alingsås in southwest Sweden, local authorities said. The jewelry was found in the open in front of rocks, possibly after being dug up by animals. “
It looked like metal waste. At first I thought it was a lamp,
”said the discoverer, Tomas Karlsson. This orienteering enthusiast, who was updating a map, then leaned over and found a necklace and an adornment, he told the daily Dagens Nyheter. "
Everything seemed so new, at the beginning I believed in fakes
», He said.
After reporting the find, a team of archaeologists came to examine the site.
According to Johan Ling, professor of archeology at the University of Gothenburg, "
most of the objects found are in bronze and are associated with a high-ranking woman from the Bronze Age
".
Dated between 750 and 500 BC.
JC, they include very well preserved necklaces, chains and staples.