A Norwegian man and his trusty metal detector just made the find of a lifetime -- and in a strange twist, he has his doctor to thank.
Erlend Bore, 51, came across a stash of gold pendants, rings and pearls on the Norwegian island of Rennesoey.
The artifacts date back more than 1,500 years to around A.D. 500.
Bore said he first thought the haul was chocolate money -- but archaeologists are calling it "the gold find of the century."
"I first looked around the shore, but only found scrap and a ten ring. Then I chose to go a little higher up in the terrain, and then the metal detector beeped immediately," Bore said in a statement.
"It was completely unreal," he said, adding that his pulse rose at record speed when he realized what he had found.
According to the Archaeological Museum at the University of Stavanger, Bore's discovery -- which includes nine pendants, three rings and 10 gold pearls -- is "the biggest gold treasure of its kind in over 100 years in Norway."
Not bad for a rookie -- Bore began his metal detector hobby earlier this year following the advice of his doctor to get more exercise.
"He bought his first metal detector before the summer, partly to go treasure hunting, but mostly to have a hobby that got him off the couch," the museum said.
Håkon Reiersen, an associated professor at the museum, said this is a completely unique discovery. He said the pendants and pearls join to form a showy necklace that would have been worn only by society's most powerful people.
"In Norway, no similar discovery has been made since the 19th century, and it is also a very unusual discovery in a Scandinavian context," he said. "Based on the location where the find was made and experiences from similar finds, it is probably a question of either hidden valuables or sacrifices to the gods in such a dramatic time."
Professor Sigmund Oehrl said the gold pendants are of a specific type that is very rare.
"On these gold pendants the horse's tongue hangs out, and its slumped posture and twisted legs show that it is injured. Like the Christian symbol of the cross, which spread in the Roman Empire at exactly this time, the horse symbol represented illness and distress, but at the same time hope for healing and new life," he said.
Bore handed over his discovery to the museum as required by Norwegian law, which states that all objects from before the year 1537, and coins older than the year 1650, are considered state property and must be handed in.
The museum said Bore and the landowner will receive a "finder's fee" reward, although the amount has not yet been determined.