️<unk>️<unk>️<unk>️  ️<unk>️<unk>️<unk>️<unk>️<unk>️<unk>️<unk>️<unk>️<unk>️<unk>️ ️<unk>️<unk>️<unk>️<unk>️<unk>️<unk>️<unk>️<unk>️<unk>️<unk>️<unk>️<unk>️<unk>️<unk>️<unk>️<unk>️ ️<unk>️<unk>️<unk>️<unk>️<unk>️<unk>️ ️<unk>️<unk>️<unk>️<unk>️<unk>️<unk>️<unk>️<unk>️<unk>️<unk>️<unk>️<unk>️<unk>️<unk>️<unk>️<unk>️<unk>️<unk>️<unk>️ ️<unk>️<unk>️<unk>️<unk>️<unk>️<unk>️<unk>️<unk>️<unk>️<unk>️<unk>️<unk>️<unk>️<unk>️<unk>️<unk>️<unk>️<unk>️<unk>️<unk>️<unk>️<unk>️<unk>️<unk>️<unk>️<unk>️<unk>️<unk>️<unk>️<unk>️<unk>️<unk>️<unk>️<unk>️<unk>️<unk>️<unk>️<unk>️<unk>️<unk>️<unk>️<unk>️<unk>️<unk>️<unk>️<unk>️<unk>️<unk>️<unk>️<unk>️<unk>️<unk>️<unk>️<unk>️<unk>️<unk>️<unk>️<unk>️<unk>️<unk>️<unk>️<unk>️<unk>️<unk>️<unk>️<unk>️<unk>️<unk>️<unk>️<unk>️<unk>️<unk>️<unk>️<unk>️<unk>️<unk>️<unk>️<unk>️<unk>️<unk>️<unk>️<unk>️<unk>️<unk>️<unk>️<unk>️<unk>️<unk>️<unk>️<unk>️<unk>️<unk>️<unk>️<unk>️<unk>️<unk>️<unk>️<unk>️<unk>️<unk>️<unk>️<unk>️ Birka was a key trading center during the Viking age and made a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1993. ️<unk>️<unk>️<unk>️<unk>️<unk>️<unk>️ Researchers led by Stockholm University biophysicist Sebastian Wärmländer say they used "scan electron microscopy (SEM) with energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS) to analyze the ring's composition and found that it was in fact made of silver alloy and the "amethyst" was colored glass.<unk> Researchers led by Stockholm University biophysicist Sebastian Wärmländer say they used "scan electron microscopy (SEM) with energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS) to analyze the ring's composition and found that it was in fact made of silver alloy and the "amethyst" was colored glass. ️<unk>️<unk>️<unk>️<unk>️<unk>️<unk>️<unk>️<unk>️<unk>️ Even though glass production began around 5,000 years ago in the Levant it was still an exotic material in Viking Age Scandinavia<unk> More significantly, the researchers found no trace of the gold that had been assumed to coat the ring and noted the presence of filing marks.<unk> More significantly, the researchers found no trace of the gold that had been assumed to coat the ring and noted the presence of filing marks. "Together with the absence of gold on the metal surface... the file marks clearly show that the previous description of the ring as gilded was mistaken: if the surface had been gilt and the gold layer had worn away, also the file markings would be gone. ąąąąąąąąąąąąąąąąąąąąąąąąąąąąąąąąąąąąąąąąąąąąąąąąąąąąąąąąąąąąąą
Swedish researchers have used scanning to examine a ring found in a Viking grave. -<unk> Swedish researchers have used scanning to examine a ring found in a Viking grave. ️<unk>️<unk>️<unk>️<unk>️<unk>️<unk>️<unk>️<unk>️<unk>️<unk>️<unk>️<unk>️ ąąąąąąąąąąąąąąąąąąąąąąąąąąąąąąąąąąąąąąąąąąąąąąąąąąąąąąąąąąąąąąąąąąą