Construction workers digging about four miles north of Aarhus, Denmark have accidentally discovered a “spectacular” Viking gravesite. Dating back to the second half of the 10th century, the archeological trove may even tie directly to one of Denmark’s most famous rulers: King Harald “Bluetooth” Gormsson. And yes—his legacy is tied to the handy wireless feature in your smartphone.
The roughly 30 graves containing artifacts and treasures represent the era’s entire social hierarchy spectrum, according to an announcement by the Moesgaard Museum. The findings include a gold-threaded box, pearls, coins, ceramics, and even a pair of scissors likely owned by an important noblewoman of the time. The box itself is a particularly remarkable find, as experts believe it’s only the third confirmed example of its kind. Human remains such as bones and teeth were also found at the site along with smaller, less ornate graves that possibly held an elite family’s enslaved workers.
Conservators work to lift a Viking Age coffin from the archeological site. Credit: Moesgaard Museum poul madsen
“Together, they paint the picture of an aristocratic environment that was linked to royal power, and which was part of the Vikings’ vast and dynamic world,” Kasper Andersen, a Viking Age historian at Moesgaard, said in a statement.
Archeologists speculate the burial site is probably related to a nobleman’s farm located less than 0.65 miles away. That find, discovered in the 1980s, may have belonged to an earl or steward of King Harald Bluetooth—a legendary figure in his own right.
The son of King Gorm the Old, Harald ruled over Denmark and Norway from around 958–986 CE and allegedly earned his nickname from a conspicuously colored tooth. More importantly, he is remembered for spreading Christianity across Denmark, as well as consolidating power over the regions of Jutland and Zealand.
X-ray photograph of the Lisbjerg box, showing a cross-shaped fitting on the lid as well as beads, scissors and gold thread inside the box. Credit: Moesgaard Museum
