Gullgubber are intriguing artifacts dating back to the Nordic Iron Age in Scandinavia. These objects are typically small, thin pieces of hammered gold (though sometimes silver) with dimensions usually ranging from 1 to 2 square centimeters (0.16 to 0.31 square inches). They are adorned with stamped motifs and represent some of the earliest examples of toreutics (metalwork) in Northern Europe.
The term "gullgubbe" translates to "little golden oldies" and was coined based on a report published in 1791 by Niels Henrik Sjöborg. According to the report, villagers in Ravlund, Scania, where these artifacts were discovered in the dunes, referred to them as "guldgubbar."
Approximately 3,000 of these pieces have been found across about 30 locations in Norway, Sweden, and Denmark, with Denmark yielding the largest number. Notably, Sorte Muld on the Danish island of Bornholm has yielded at least 2,350 pieces, while Lundeborg, near Gudme on the Danish island of Funen, produced more than 100, and 122 were found in Uppåkra, Scania, Sweden. The distribution of these artifacts may have been influenced by contemporary circumstances and the political situation during the time they were deposited.
Gullgubber belong to the Late Iron Age, spanning from the end of the Age of Migration to the start of the Viking Age, particularly during what is referred to as the Merovingian Age in Norway and the Wendel Age in Sweden, spanning roughly from 550 to 800 AD. However, dating these artifacts can be challenging because they are often discovered in contexts that do not provide clear chronological markers. It is believed that gullgubber may have replaced brakteates, which required more metal, as a form of adornment, especially as obtaining gold from the Byzantine Empire became increasingly difficult.