Gold treasure said to be around 1,400 years old was discovered in the remains of a pagan temple in Norway, multiple sources reported on Tuesday.
The treasure includes five tiny gold foil figures that were found in the last few weeks by archaeologists. Reports described them to be as small as a fingernail and "flat and thin as paper" and "often square." A man and a woman are depicted in numerous types of jewelry, hairstyles, and clothing in the different figurines.
Three of the five were found where the temple's wall once stood, and the other two were discovered in post holes, local science news outlet Science Norway reported.
The archaeologists who made the discovery stated that knowing where an item was placed helps them understand its cultural significance.
Previous excavations
Previous excavations of the temple where the treasure was found had also uncovered thirty similar stamped gold objects in the past 30 years. Therefore, a total of 35 gold pieces have now been found near the Hov farm in the Vingrom village in southeast Norway, according to Science Norway.
Researchers stated that the objects discovered were from between the Norwegian Merovingian era (550-800 AD) to the Viking Age and that they were ritually placed as sacrificial offerings or a religious act. The Science Norway report cited archaeologists at the scene who believe that the temple was once a place where people made sacrifices to gods that they believed in.