An archeology student has discovered a hoard of seven silver arm rings dating to the Viking Age just north of Aarhus, Denmark. Gustav Bruunsgaard found the hoard while metal detecting earlier this year in a field near Elsted where traces of a Viking settlement have been discovered in the past. First he found one silver bangle, then returned to find another six. Experts date the arm rings to around 800 A.D., the dawn of the Viking Era (793-1066 A.D.). The bracelet group weighs about a pound in total, and bracelets like these were used as currency and for trade. Most of them were likely made in Denmark, or at least in southern Scandinavia. The one coiled ring is of a type that originally came from Russia or Ukraine, which has since been imitated in the Nordics. The three band-shaped, stamped rings are of a South Scandinavian type that inspired bangles in Ireland, where they became very common. The three smooth bangles are rare, but are known from Scandinavia and England. “The Elsted farm treasure is a fantastically interesting find from the Viking Age, which connects Aarhus with Russia and Ukraine in the east and the British Isles in the west. In this way, the find emphasizes how Aarhus was a central hub in the Viking world, which went all the way from the North Atlantic to Asia,” says Kasper H. Andersen, Ph.D. and historian at Moesgaard Museum. Archaeological objects, including coins, that have historical value and/or are made of precious metals are legally property of the Danish state. By law, anyone who acquires any such materials must report them to the authorities and immediately cede them to the National Museum. The museum then compensates the finder an amount determined by the value, rarity and significance of the object. The silver arm rings are currently on display at the Moesgaard Museum and will be handed over to the National Museum after the exhibition.