Viking Burial Ground Discovered
A major archaeological find of over fifty skeletons from a Viking burial site may provide new information about Viking culture. The site is estimated to date back to between 900 to 1000 CE. Archaeologists from the Museum Odense discovered the burial site in the village of Åsum, east of Odense, Denmark.
The skeletal remains are in good condition which may allow for DNA analysis. Such testing could provide new information on the health, diet, and ancestry of the settlement’s inhabitants.
Artifacts Provide Clues to the Past
Artifacts unearthed at the site include a glass bead from a necklace, an iron key, a knife, and a bronze brooch. A piece of rock crystal discovered at the site is not from the area. This suggests travel and trade likely took place at the time.
One grave of particular interest is that of a woman buried in a wagon as her coffin. Several artifacts and a decorated trunk were buried with her.
Excavation Site and Others in Region
The burial ground measures about 21,500 square feet, which is a little less than half the size of a football field. The discovery was made while preparing a project on the electrical grid. Excavation has been underway for six months.
There have been other significant discoveries of Viking history in the region in recent years. In 2023, a young Danish girl using a metal detector discovered 300 silver coins used during the Viking historical era. In 2020, archaeologists in Norway discovered a buried Viking settlement, burial ground, and a burial ship using ground-penetrating radar (GPR).
Who Were the Vikings?
The Vikings were seafaring people from Scandinavia, a region in Northern Europe made up of Denmark, Norway, and Sweden. They were skilled shipbuilders and sailors. Their ships were long and narrow with arched prows (also known as the bow, or front of the ship). Each ship carried 50 warriors. Vikings sailed widely throughout Europe, raiding, plundering, and colonizing lands from about 800 to 1050 CE.