The December issue of Antiquity Journal, the most prestigious archaeological publication in the world, contains an article by a team led by Dr Martin Rundkvist from the Institute of Archaeology at the University of Lodz (UŁ). The golden findings uncovered during the excavations featured on the cover of the latest issue of the journal.

Excavations and geophysical surveys conducted by Dr Martin Rundkvist’s team in Sweden, in cooperation with the Östergötland District Museum, have revealed the foundations of an almost 50-metre-high wooden building on a high clay platform in the village of Aska. The find dates to the period between approximately 650 and 950.The archaeological site managed to uncover 30 miniature paintings in gold foil depicting richly dressed, embracing couples.

The field research at Aska was made possible thanks to a combination of Polish and Swedish funding. It was carried out by a team of archaeology students from Łódź and Stockholm, with support from the Swedish Association of Metal Detectorists.