Archaeologists recently discovered a large cache of jewelry, silver coins and other artifacts in an ancient cemetery in western Norway. At least three of them appear to belong to a trio of highly respected and wealthy Viking women. But don’t expect archaeologists to discover their bones or other human remains in the estimated 17 other burial sites nearby.
Last year, antiquity hunters armed with metal detectors discovered ancient coins and brooches near the town of Fitjar. This discovery soon prompted a team of archaeologists to head to a place known as Skumsnes for further investigation. Researchers say early results indicate the existence of as many as 20 tombs dating back to the early 9th century AD. In fact, the site is so full of artifacts that experts only had enough time to examine the graves of the first three women.
“From a research point of view, this is a small treasure trove,” said archaeologist Søren Dinhof of the Bergen University Museum. science norway On December 17th.
Dinhoff said Skumsnes likely also served as a lucrative port for tourists. These strategically located farms were often the property of local kings or chieftains, and provided additional income for the royal realm. This helps explain why the women buried there possessed valuable costume jewelry such as glass beads, silver coins, and oval brooches.
However, these graves were not typical modern burials. For example, a woman was buried with stones laid in a natural rock crevice, a common practice in Viking regions at the time. The grave of another high-ranking woman had stones arranged in the shape of a 13-foot-long boat intended to take her to the afterlife. Along with the Viking ship, several tools related to weaving were also buried, indicating that this was a respected profession for women in Skumsnes.
“Textile production was prestigious. Farms that produced luxury clothing had high status,” Dinhof explains, adding that the bronze key also represents her role as head of the household. added.
Dinhoff also believes that the “most remarkable find” at Skumsnes was a coin, a rare variant from the Danish Viking town of Hedeby or Ribe. This, along with other possible Carolingian silver coins from the Frankish Empire, suggests that the women had connections to continental Europe. One theory is that they came from abroad and married into the Skamsnes community.
Although each grave is rich in jewelry and personal effects, it does not contain the bones of the Viking women themselves. One possible reason has to do with the environmental conditions of scumness.
“That’s the problem in western Norway. The soil here consumes bone debris,” Dinhoff said.
However, some evidence suggests a different theory. At the very least, it is possible that the stone boat woman was not buried in the tomb in the first place. In the tomb, archaeologists found coins and glass beads clustered on top of a mass of rotting organic matter, which they believe may have been a leather pouch. This means that the women were not wearing them during their internment, which is inconsistent with Viking burial practices. If that’s true, the tomb may have functioned as a monument known as a cenotaph.
Dinhoff added that a small “very interesting” detail further supports this theory. It is a “vulva stone” placed in place of a stone ship’s mast.
“The fact that the stones are similar means that [genitalia] That’s no coincidence. That’s clear,” Dinhoff said.
There is currently no evidence to explain where the woman’s body ultimately was at the time of her death, but Dinhoff’s team theorizes that stones in her vulva may have marked her. This may also explain the absence of human remains.
Regardless of the resolution of the mystery, the Skumsnes tomb is a prime example of the important role women often played in ancient Viking culture, and the consideration given to them prior to their journey to the afterlife.
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