Excavations in Norway have uncovered a variety of artifacts, including coins, jewelry, textile tools and stones laid out in the shape of a ship. All of these were found in graves that probably belonged to high-ranking Viking-era women, according to Science Norway correspondent Ida Irene Bergstrom.
The graves were discovered by a group of amateur metal detectorists in the fall of 2023 and have been dated to 800-850 B.C. This corresponds to the beginning of the
Viking era, which lasted from about 800 to 1050 B.C.
During the excavations, which were completed in late 2024, archaeologists found a wide variety of artifacts. Fragments of gilded oval brooches, part of a metal cauldron and a book clasp that had been reworked into jewelry were found in one of the graves. Archaeologists believe that the clasp may have originated from a Christian monastery.
"We think the clasp in one of the first burials may well have come from a Bible in England or Ireland," says archaeologist Soren Dijnhoff of the University of Bergen Museum. "It was separated from the scripture and brought to Norway, where it eventually became a woman's brooch."
In another burial they found 11 silver coins and a necklace of 46 glass beads. The researchers also found trefoil-shaped brooches that were probably used to fasten clothing. The brooches appear to have been repurposed from Carolingian-era sword belt clasps, according to a statement from the scientists.
Photo: smithsonianmag.com
They also found a bronze key and a frying pan, as well as objects used for textile production: a spindle, a weaving sword (a blade used to compact the weft threads and thus separate and increase the size of the shed) and wool scissors. These items indicate that the woman buried here may have been the head of the family and in charge of textile production on the farm.
"Textile production was prestigious," says Dijnhoff. "Farms where fine clothing was produced had a high status." Also, experts from the University Museum of Bergen are still studying the coins.
Researchers have already concluded that one of the coins is a rare one belonging to Vikings from the town of Hedebye, minted in the early 9th century BC in southern Denmark - one of the earliest known Scandinavian coins.
The remaining ten coins were likely minted during the reign of
Ludovic I, son of
Charles the Great and Carolingian ruler of the Franks. Some of the artifacts appear to originate from England and Ireland, indicating long-distance Viking trade routes.
But the women may also have had their own connections to continental Europe. "These women both had contacts outside Norway," Dijnhoff says. "It may not be a coincidence. They may have come from abroad and married men from the local population."
The researchers did not find any bones in the graves. The human remains may have decayed, which often happens because of the soil composition in western Norway.
Photo: smithsonianmag.com
According to another version, the graves were originally empty. Perhaps they were cenotaphs, or memorials dedicated to people who were buried elsewhere. Researchers speculate that this was likely the case, as the necklace appears to have been buried inside a leather pouch rather than around the neck.
The graves are located in the municipality of Fitzhar, located on the southwestern coast of the country. According to archaeologists, there was a farm at the site during the Viking Age, which most likely belonged to a local or regional king.
Because the farm is so close to the coast, sea travelers may have used it as a rest stop. This theory is supported by the fact that ship-shaped stones were found in one of the graves.
"On behalf of the king, passing ships were given shelter, which probably brought in additional income," says Dijnhoff.