Archaeologists found an elaborate oval buckle among the human bones. Photo / Raymond Sauvage, NTNU University Museum
Was she a priestess? Or a princess? A fearsome shield maiden? Or a beloved wife?
“The preservation, the jewellery, the symbolism, it’s extraordinary on multiple levels,” Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU) archaeologist Raymond Sauvage says of the discovery of a fully intact Viking burial in Norway.
Hobbyist metal detector Roy Soreng was scouring an unploughed field in the Trondelag region when his sensor spiked.
Scraping away the soil exposed an elaborate oval buckle among human bones.
So he called the authorities at Trondelag County Council.
Trained archaeologists soon set about the site, uncovering the remains of a woman dating from the 9th century.
It was the time of the Vikings’ rise. And the discovery raises more questions than answers about these enigmatic people.
They found two intricately decorated oval brooches, classic examples of a type used to fasten Viking apron-halter dresses. And there was a smaller ring buckle for a petticoat.
But two large scallop shells placed over her mouth, like a mask, were something historians had never seen in a burial of this era.
“This is a practice completely unknown in pre-Christian graves in Norway,” Sauvage said in a statement. “We don’t yet understand the symbolism, but it must have carried deep meaning for those who laid her to rest.”
There were other ritual signs.
This includes the remains of carefully arranged birding bones and feathers carefully arranged around the body.
They were clearly signs of status. Of spiritual significance.
But what they represent remains a mystery.
And the presence of such objects predates similar burial practices by several centuries.
“These parts of Norway are excellent grounds for collecting scallops,” Sauvage told LiveScience.
“However, you need to dive to catch them; thus, it is uncertain if these were caught via free-diving or if they are dead shells gathered at the beach. Unfortunately, it is difficult to guess what this meaning could have been.”
Archaeologists had earlier this year uncovered another burial site in the same field. That one was dated almost a century older.
This indicates the two burials may be from the same family of landholders, separated by at least three generations.
DNA testing is under way on bone samples to uncover any such link. It’s also hoped to reveal the woman’s age, health and cause of death.
So far, the evidence suggests she was at least a prominent figure – perhaps a “husfrue” – of a local farming estate.
“This is a grave belonging to what we believe was a free, possibly married woman, likely a respected farm mistress,” Sauvage explains.
But the scallop mouthguard and wings add an unexplained dimension. It could indicate a woman of unusual spiritual status. Or be symbols of her travels, or skills.
“This is an incredibly exciting discovery,” says Minister of Cultural Heritage Hanna Geiran. “Well-preserved Viking skeletons are exceptionally rare, and the knowledge potential here is enormous.”
Norway typically has acidic soil. This tends to dissolve buried bones.
The delicate remains have been removed to NTNU facilities for further study.
“During the inspection, we quickly realised that we were facing a new skeleton grave that was in acute danger of being damaged by the next ploughing,” explains archaeologist Hanne Bryn.
Researchers working alongside a highway construction project in Sweden’s Vastmanland have uncovered nine separate Viking-era sites, including a chieftain’s funeral pyre and several villages.
The results of their excavations have now been published.
Archaeologist Frederik Larsson says one of the most significant finds was a small mountain near Hallstahammar that had been extensively reshaped to prominently present two funerary pyres.
“It was a place that was intended to be visible from afar,” Larsson writes.
The finds, dating from 800AD to 1200, include a burial mound with two swords ritually thrust vertically into the ground. “It is probably about a special armed group in the society that was buried here,” Larsson said. “It could also be about kinship, that we are seeing part of a dynasty.”
Several other graves contained the remains of the deceased’s horse and tackle, while others held dogs and birds of prey.
“One can wonder whether the horse equipment has functioned as a kind of local attire, because the horses also had their own equipment,” Larsson said. “This includes hanging fittings with many different shapes and many bells, so that the horses and riders could both be seen and heard.”
Another unusual find was a grave containing both a man and a woman.
“We do not know what their relationship was … If they both belonged to a specific armed group or if one of them was sacrificed in connection with the burial,” Larsson notes.
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