Paper detail

Hidden Beauty in Twisted Viking Neck Rings

Many hoards found in Ireland, Scotland, Orkney Islands, and Scandinavia demonstrate the vikings ability to fabricate beautiful arm and neck rings of twisted silver and gold rods. Characteristic for such rings is the uniform appearance of the twisted pattern along the length of the arm ring, as well as from one arm ring to another, also when found at distant geographical locations. How can the appearance of the twisted wires be so perfectly repetitive? We demonstrate that the answer is that the vikings utilized a self-forming motif: The pattern arises from a twisting of the wires to a maximally rotated configuration. That is why the twist patterns in these arm and neck rings are beautiful, repetitive, and universal.