Boeslunde, Denmark – on the island of Zealand – has provided archaeologists with many Bronze Age finds over the years. And yet, the island still has its mysteries. Earlier this year, archaeologists discovered a cache about 2,000 small gold spirals of unknown origin and purpose.
These tightly-wound gold wires are made from thin, flat golden “thread” about 1 inch in length, each. They date back to the Bronze Age, but experts are unsure what they were used for. During the same dig, archaeologists also found some gold brooches (which helped to date the find to around 900 B.C.E.) and the remains of what was likely a fur-lined box which stored these treasures. Altogether, the spirals totaled to about 8 oz. – worth more than $8,000 according to current gold prices.
According to Flemming Kaul, curator of the Danish National Museum, Boeslunde was “a special sacred place in the Bronze Age where prehistoric people performed their rituals and offered gold to the higher powers.” Most likely, the gold spirals were involved in such rituals. Kaul speculates that they may have been part of a ceremonial garb for worshiping the sun. The spirals could have been easily woven into garments and hair to give the wearer an amazing, sun-inspired radiance.
