Fragment av treflika spenne frå Ytre Moa - truleg av same type som illustrasjonen under. Dette er den vanlegaste smykketypen frå yngre jarnalder, saman med ringforma spenner og ovale spenner (Foto: Fylkesarkivet).
Fragment av treflika spenne frå Ytre Moa - truleg av same type som illustrasjonen under. Dette er den vanlegaste smykketypen frå yngre jarnalder, saman med ringforma spenner og ovale spenner (Foto: Fylkesarkivet).

Fragment of a trefoil brooch from Ytre Moa, probably of the same type as seen in the illustration to the left. This is the most common type of jewellery from the younger Iron Age together with ring-shaped brooches and oval brooches. (Photo: The County Archives of Sogn og Fjordane).

Written by Kari Larsen
Published 24.01.2008
Tilbehøyr / Accessory

Jewellery and personal objects

Few but various types of jewellery and personal objects have been found at Ytre Moa. These objects demonstrate that the people who lived at Ytre Moa produced a surplus which made it possible to trade or barter goods from elsewhere. The most interesting and surprising aspect of the finds at Ytre Moa, however, is that they may have made their own jewellery and other metal objects.

Bowl-shaped brooch

The most common clothes accessories for women in the Viking Age were the so-called bowl-shaped brooches. At Ytre Moa a small fragment of an upper shell of such a brooch has been found. Other finds are a cloak pin made of bronze, a fragment of a so-called trefoil brooch, a fragment of a ring pin and a pendant, all made of bronze.

Unfinished pendant

The pendant is decorated with animal ornamentation in the Borre style. On this basis we can date this piece of jewellery to about 900 AD. The most interesting point about this brooch is that it is unfinished. For example there is no hole or lug for attaching it to a chain, and there are traces of filing on the back. This brooch was found in house site B. Other finds in the same site were a small file, two chisels, a hammer, an auger and a drill. These are all tools used for working with metal, and then mainly for fine and detailed metalwork. In addition, smithies slag has been found at Ytre Moa, admittedly in small quantities, but collectively these finds may indicate that exquisite metalwork has been carried out at the farm.

Decorated with beads

In addition to brooches and pins it was also usual to decorate themselves with beads. At Ytre Moa eight beads have been found, one of metal and the others of glass. They vary in size and form (spherical and cylindrical), colour and décor. Both mosaic beads and simple glass beads were taken into use as early as in the Migration period (from 400-600 AD), but the ones found here are of a type common in the younger Iron Age (600-1000 AD).

Ymse perler frå Ytre Moa, mellom anna ei blå og kvit såkalla dobbeltperle, samt enkle blå glasperler. Denne typen perler har ei generell datering til yngre jarnalder (Foto: Fylkesarkivet).
Ymse perler frå Ytre Moa, mellom anna ei blå og kvit såkalla dobbeltperle, samt enkle blå glasperler. Denne typen perler har ei generell datering til yngre jarnalder (Foto: Fylkesarkivet).

Various beads from Ytre Moa, showing a blue and white so-called double bead and simple glass beads. This type of bead can generally be dated to the younger Iron Age (Photo: The County Archives of Sogn og Fjordane).

Razor knife

Among other personal objects found at Ytre Moa, it is worth mentioning the razor knife. This is made of iron, and the point is rolled up in a spiral. Razor knives of this type can generally be dated to the Iron Age (500 BC – 1000 AD).
 


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