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13-year-old discovers 1,000-year-old 'Bluetooth' coins

An pair of amateur archaeologists in the Baltic Sea discovered a stash of coins dating back to the 10th century reign of "Harald Bluetooth," the last Viking king of Denmark, for whom the popular wireless protocol is named.

Ry Crist Senior Editor / Reviews - Labs
Originally hailing from Troy, Ohio, Ry Crist is a writer, a text-based adventure connoisseur, a lover of terrible movies and an enthusiastic yet mediocre cook. A CNET editor since 2013, Ry's beats include smart home tech, lighting, appliances, broadband and home networking.
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Ry Crist
Painted re-construction of old rune stone depicting Viking Harald Bluetooth.
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Painted re-construction of old rune stone depicting Viking Harald Bluetooth.

Painted re-construction of old rune stone depicting Viking king Harald "Bluetooth."

 John Elk

A pair of amateur archaeologists -- one of them a 13-year-old boy -- unearthed an 1,000-year-old stash of coins dating back to the 10th century reign of Harald Gormsson on the German island of Ruegen in the Baltic Sea, the AP reports.

Gormsson, better known by the nickname "Harald Bluetooth," was one of the last Viking rulers of Denmark. Eons after his reign, the Swedish telecom company Ericsson would name a short-range wireless protocol in honor of his ability to unite Scandinavia (scrutinize the Bluetooth logo, and you'll find the runic letters for his initials, "HB," hidden within).

Today, Bluetooth seems to connect just about everything, from audio accessories and smart home gadgets to video game controllers and sleep trackers.

The discovery occurred in January when archaeology buffs Rene Schoen and Luca Malaschnitschenko started scanning a field with a metal detector. Luca discovered the first coin -- soon, state-backed professionals stepped in for a thorough search of the area.

Their dig, which wrapped up over the weekend, ultimately unearthed hundreds of ancient coins, at least 100 of which they attribute to Bluetooth's reign.