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Oct 19, 2024

Metal Detectorists Find 'Incredible' Artifact Depicting Alexander the Great - Newsweek

Metal detectorists have discovered a "unique" artifact that archaeologists say features a depiction of Alexander the Great, and is mystifying the experts surprised at the location of the find. Finn

Metal detectorists have discovered a "unique" artifact that archaeologists say features a depiction of Alexander the Great, and is mystifying the experts surprised at the location of the find.

Finn Ibsen and Lars Danielsen came across the object in question, a small bronze fitting measuring around an inch across, near Ringsted—a city located centrally on the island of Zealand, Denmark.

"[A] mysterious and absolutely incredible find in the field," Museum West Zealand said in a Facebook post. "Finn and Lars were out with the metal detector in a field near Ringsted, and their eyes widened when it dawned on them what they had suddenly found. It is tiny and absolutely spectacular."

The bronze disk is thought to date to around the year A.D. 200 and bears a portrait of Alexander—one of the greatest rulers of antiquity—on one side.

Alexander the Great ruled the ancient kingdom of Macedon—centered on the northeastern part of the Greek peninsula—between 336 B.C. until his death in 323 B.C. at the age of 32.

During his reign, he waged extensive military campaigns, creating one of the largest empires ever seen—spanning from Greece to northwestern India. Undefeated in battle, he is widely considered to be among the most successful military commanders in history.

Alexander was already being venerated in the first centuries after his death, becoming a significant role model for Roman emperors. The emperor Caracalla, who reigned from A.D. 198-217, even saw himself as the reincarnation of Alexander.

"[Alexander] became a legend with which power could be justified. Many subsequent rulers wanted to use his face to show a connection to Alexander's greatness," archaeologist Freerk Oldenburger with Museum West Zealand told Danish media outlet TV2 Øst.

Alexander is easily recognizable on the bronze fitting found near Ringsted, which also contains traces of lead, thanks to the wavy locks of hair and ram horns beside the ears.

"It's fantastic. Up here in Scandinavia you don't usually find anything about Alexander the Great," Oldenburger told TV2 Øst.

According to the researcher, the portrait is very similar to one found at the Illerup Ådal archaeological site on the Danish mainland. This was the site of a great battle between two Germanic tribes that took place around A.D. 200—roughly when the bronze artifact from Zealand was made.

"In the aftermath of the battle, the survivors collected weapons and equipment from slain warriors and ritually demolished these. Subsequently, the weapons and equipment were sacrificed by throwing them in a lake," Oldenburger told Newsweek.

Among the objects found at the site were shields featuring small decorative disks with portraits of warriors. And one of these bears the aforementioned image of Alexander the Great, which resembles the portrait on the artifact from Zealand.

"The [Zealand] discovery is of great archaeological significance and the object is very rare," Oldenburger said. "We only know of one similar artifact, which was found in the famous weapon deposits of Illerup Ådal in Jutland. The Illerup Ådal mount was attached to a shield and is of gilded silver. The newly discovered [artifact] from Ringsted on Zealand has been cast in bronze but is otherwise similar to the Illerup Ådal example. It has the same shape and dimensions, and shows an identical portrait."

But despite the clear depiction of Alexander, the latest find raises many more questions than answers at this stage, according to archaeologists. For example, it is not clear if the object was created by the Romans, who used the same lead-containing alloy for casting statuettes. Was it cast by the Romans from a remelted statuette, or did the remelting take place on Zealand?

If the object was cast by the Romans, how did it end up in a field on Zealand? The territory conquered by Rome never extended to the area occupied by modern Denmark. And there is no evidence that Roman armies were ever present in the region. But the Romans did maintain trade links with the Germanic peoples who once lived in this region.

"Perhaps the Ringsted mount was fastened to the shield of a Germanic veteran returning from Roman military service," Oldenburger said. "It might also have been brought back as plunder from wars near the Roman border in the south, or might simply be the result of trade."

"In this respect, it needs to be mentioned that around 200 A.D. there were many Roman influences in Denmark. On Zealand, many Germanic graves from the period have been uncovered with objects imported from the Roman Empire."

If the object is of Germanic origin, however, what was its significance to these people? Did they believe that it could bring good luck on the battlefield? Were they even aware of who the face represented?

"It is uncertain whether Germanic warriors actually were aware that the ornaments depicted Alexander the Great and perhaps they gave the portraits their own meanings, for example in the shape of local deities," Oldenburger said. "However, considering the many Roman influences in Denmark at the time, they might very well have heard of Alexander's myth. The legend of Alexander the Great was known over huge areas of the Eurasian continent."

It also not clear what the function of the object was. It may have been a decorative disk for a shield, or it could have formed part of a belt sword holder, for example.

"The small bronze disk... shows that even the smallest archaeological objects can hide absolutely incredible stories," archaeologist Oldenburger added in a press release.

"This is a unique find in Scandinavia with connections to one of the most famous personalities in world history."

Do you have a tip on a science story that Newsweek should be covering? Do you have a question about archaeology? Let us know via [email protected].

Update 5/02/24, 8:48 a.m. ET: This article was updated to include additional comments from archaeologist Freerk Oldenburger.

Aristos is a Newsweek science reporter with the London, U.K., bureau. He reports on science and health topics, including; animal, mental health, and psychology-related stories. Aristos joined Newsweek in 2018 from IBTimes UK and had previously worked at The World Weekly. He is a graduate of the University of Nottingham and City University, London. Languages: English. You can get in touch with Aristos by emailing [email protected].

Aristos is a Newsweek science reporter with the London, U.K., bureau. He reports on science and health topics, including; animal, ...Read more