Bronze Age spearheads with gold ornaments found in Denmark

"Two Bronze Age spearheads decorated with gold have been discovered in Boeslunde, Denmark. There are no known comparable examples of gold ornamented spears from this period in all of Europe, but they would be extraordinary even without the gold because the spearheads are made from iron. Analysis of birch pitch used as a glue from a sheath at the tip of one of the spearheads dates to the approximately 900830 B.C., the oldest iron in Denmark."

"There was no iron production in Denmark until, well, the Iron Age hundreds of years after these spears were made. They must have been made elsewhere and reached Denmark via trade, but even in Greece and Central Europe where iron spears from this period have been found, none of the examples have gold ornaments. Obviously this was a completely unexpected find."

"The team actually did uncover a likely explanation for this extraordinary: the remains of a sacred spring. This identifies the profusion of gold jewelry found right above and around it as religious offerings. X-ray photographs of the best preserved lance show several circular gold inlays along the blade; the preserved length is 47 cm, and the full length is estimated to have been around 60 cm."

Two Bronze Age spearheads decorated with gold were discovered at Boeslunde, Denmark. The spearheads are made of iron, and birch pitch from a sheath on one spearhead dates to approximately 900–830 B.C., representing the oldest iron found in Denmark. No local iron production existed then, so the weapons must have been made elsewhere and arrived via trade. Gold ornamentation on iron spears from this period is unprecedented in Northern Europe. Excavations uncovered remains of a sacred spring near large concentrations of gold jewelry, identifying the items as votive offerings and indicating Boeslunde served as an important religious and economic center.

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