3 June 2025 The Future is the Product of the Past

Viking Gold Treasure Unearthed on Isle of Man by Veteran Metal Detectorist

A remarkable piece of Viking gold has been unearthed on the Isle of Man, shedding new light on the island’s Norse heritage. The discovery—a finely crafted fragment of a Viking arm-ring—was officially declared treasure this week by the Isle of Man’s Deputy Coroner of Inquests and is now on public display at the Manx Museum in Douglas.

The treasure was found by seasoned metal detectorist Ronald Clucas, a long-standing member of the Manx Detectorist Society, during a routine outing in spring 2025. In a poetic twist of fate, the find comes during Clucas’ 50th anniversary year in the hobby, marking his “golden jubilee” with a literal piece of gold from the Viking Age.

Dating back to approximately AD 1000–1100, the gold arm-ring fragment weighs an impressive 27.26 grams and measures 3.7 cm in length—about half its original size. Expertly crafted by plaiting eight strands of gold rods, the intricate technique used to create it indicates the work of a master Viking goldsmith.

“This was quite a shock,” said Clucas. “Gold signals are usually faint on detectors, so I didn’t expect to uncover something this significant. After all these years, to find a Viking artifact made of gold—it’s absolutely incredible.”

According to Allison Fox, Curator of Archaeology at Manx National Heritage, Viking-age jewelry served multiple purposes. “Such items were not only personal adornments but also clear symbols of wealth and were often used in financial transactions,” she said. “This piece was likely used more than once in trade, as it has been cut in two places—one removing the terminal end, and the other slicing the ring nearly in half.”

During the Viking Age, the Isle of Man operated under a dual economy where both coinage and bullion, such as silver and gold, were used to conduct business. While silver finds from this period are relatively common, gold artifacts are extremely rare. This makes the discovery of the arm-ring especially valuable for researchers and historians.

The reasons for the arm-ring’s burial remain unknown. It may have been hidden for safekeeping, lost, or possibly offered to Norse gods as part of a ritual practice.

This is not Clucas’ first significant find. He previously discovered both silver and lead ingots on the island in 2005, but this latest find is by far the most exceptional.

The Viking gold arm-ring fragment is now on view in the Viking Gallery at the Manx Museum. Admission is free, with donations welcomed. Manx National Heritage extends its gratitude to Mr. Clucas, the landowner, and academic experts Dr. Kristin Bornholdt Collins and Professor James Graham-Campbell for their contributions to this important discovery.

Manx National Heritage

Cover Image Credit: Manx National Heritage

Related Articles

200 Feet to the Past: The Millennium-Old Mystery of the Himalayan Towers

8 May 2025

8 May 2025

In the remote and rugged landscapes of the Himalayas, a series of enigmatic structures known as the Himalayan Towers, or...

3500-year-old mysterious hieroglyphs discovered in Yerkapı Tunnel in Hattusa deciphered

12 October 2023

12 October 2023

Some of the Anatolian hieroglyphs discovered last year in the Yerkapı Tunnel in Hattusa, the former capital of the Hittite...

“Land of the Thousand Temples” Kancheepuram in India

20 May 2021

20 May 2021

Kancheepuram, one of the most sacred and religious Hindu pilgrim centers in India is also called the ‘Land of the...

2.3-meter sword found in 4th-century tomb in Japan

27 January 2023

27 January 2023

The largest bronze mirror and the largest “dako” iron sword in Japan were discovered at the Tomio Maruyama burial mound...

Scientists Find Aztec ‘Death Whistles’ do Weird Things to the Listeners’ Brains

18 November 2024

18 November 2024

New research reveals that one of the Aztecs’ most chilling artefacts, clay death whistles, which resemble a human skull and...

Hagia Sophia’s Mysterious Underground Tunnels, Vaults, Tombs to Open for Visitors

7 January 2025

7 January 2025

The Turkish Ministry of Culture is carrying out a cleaning program aimed at opening to the public the underground spaces...

Ancient quarry discovered near Tas-Silġ archaeological complex in Malta

28 May 2023

28 May 2023

The Malta Superintendence of Cultural Heritage announced on Friday that trenching works by the Water Services Corporation had uncovered an...

A female executive’s seal from 3000 years ago was discovered in Turkey

29 October 2021

29 October 2021

During the excavations carried out in southeastern Turkey’s Gaziantep’s Karkamış (Carchemish) Ancient City, seals and prints determined to belong to...

First European farmers’ heights did not meet expectations

9 April 2022

9 April 2022

A combined study of genetics and skeletal remains shows that the switch from primarily hunting, gathering and foraging to farming...

Archaeologists discover complete armored 14th-century gauntlet in Switzerland

18 January 2024

18 January 2024

Excavations in Kyburg in the canton of Zürich, northeastern Switzerland have discovered a 14th-century fully preserved gauntlet of armor in...

Monumental Roman complex discovered in France

19 March 2023

19 March 2023

In the city of Reims in northeastern France, archaeologists have discovered an ancient Roman-era monumental complex dating from the 2nd...

Papal bull discovered in a former cemetery dated to the 14th century

10 May 2023

10 May 2023

A medieval bull found in 2021 in Budzistów village (Kołobrzeg district), Poland has been restored and placed on display in...

New study investigates the development of the Scandinavian gene pool over the latest 2000 years

5 January 2023

5 January 2023

A new study resolves the complex relations between geography, ancestry, and gene flow in Scandinavia – encompassing the Roman Age,...

1.5 Million-Year-Old Hand Axes and Seven Paleolithic Sites Discovered in Iraq’s Western Desert

30 January 2025

30 January 2025

Archaeologists from the Free University of Brussels (VUB) uncovered hand axes dating back 1.5 million years and discovered seven Paleolithic...

Earthquake Unearthed Lost Roman Odeon in Croatia

28 May 2025

28 May 2025

An extraordinary archaeological discovery emerged in Croatia after renovation work began on Sisak’s City Hall, damaged by a 6.4-magnitude earthquake...

Comments
Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *