Two medieval bronze buckle were discovered in the southern part of the Swedish island of Gotland. One of them was spotted by an 8 year old boy.
Bruno Tillema was vacationing with his family when he came across the bronze buckle in the shape of an animal head, which dates back to the Viking Age (800-1100 AD). He explains: “I picked it up as I was walking down the road and I thought, what is this, maybe it’s part of a house? Then my mom came over and asked what I had in my hand. I told her it was a strange metal thing.”
The family contacted the district administration, which immediately went and looked at the find. “The family handled the find in an exemplary manner. They contacted us immediately so that we could quickly do an initial check on the spot,” says Therese Lindström, head of cultural environment at the County Administrative Board in Gotland County.
The Gotland Museum conducted an archaeological survey of the site during the week to find out if there were other objects nearby. During the survey, another clothes buckle was found, this time called a ‘ring buckle’.
“Both buckles are made of bronze and belong to costumes from the late Iron Age or early Viking Age,” Lindström said. “Buckles designed as animal heads are usually associated with Gotland women’s graves, while ring buckles are found in both men’s and women’s graves.”
The grave was probably damaged in a previous incident. It is not uncommon for objects from damaged tombs to surface in connection with the plowing of the soil. We now see such an example.
Both clasps have been sent for conservation and will be displayed in a museum after the work. Bruno will also be compensated for his discovery. After this discovery, he said he wants to be an archaeologist when he grows up. His dream is to find a T. rex skull. We hope his life will be full of success.