Trained archaeologists soon set about the site, uncovering the remains of a woman dating from the 9th century.<\/p>\n
It was the time of the Vikings\u2019 rise. And the discovery raises more questions than answers about these enigmatic people.<\/p>\n
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.<\/p>\n
But two large scallop shells placed over her mouth, like a mask, were something historians had never seen in a burial of this era.<\/p>\n
Two large scallop shells were also found at the site. Photo \/ Raymond Sauvage, NTNU University Museum<\/p>\n
Unexplained symbolism<\/p>\n
\u201cThis is a practice completely unknown in pre-Christian graves in Norway,\u201d Sauvage said in a statement. \u201cWe don\u2019t yet understand the symbolism, but it must have carried deep meaning for those who laid her to rest.\u201d<\/p>\n
There were other ritual signs.<\/p>\n
This includes the remains of carefully arranged birding bones and feathers carefully arranged around the body.<\/p>\n
They were clearly signs of status. Of spiritual significance.<\/p>\n
But what they represent remains a mystery.<\/p>\n
The farm and excavation site in Bjugn where the Viking grave was found. Photo \/ Kristoffer Rantala, NTNU Science Museum<\/p>\n
And the presence of such objects predates similar burial practices by several centuries.<\/p>\n
\u201cThese parts of Norway are excellent grounds for collecting scallops,\u201d Sauvage told LiveScience.<\/p>\n
\u201cHowever, 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.\u201d<\/p>\n
Family ties<\/p>\n
Archaeologists had earlier this year uncovered another burial site in the same field. That one was dated almost a century older.<\/p>\n
This indicates the two burials may be from the same family of landholders, separated by at least three generations.<\/p>\n
DNA testing is under way on bone samples to uncover any such link. It\u2019s also hoped to reveal the woman\u2019s age, health and cause of death.<\/p>\n
So far, the evidence suggests she was at least a prominent figure \u2013 perhaps a \u201chusfrue\u201d \u2013 of a local farming estate.<\/p>\n
The discovery. Photo \/ Raymond Sauvage, NTNU University Museum<\/p>\n
\u201cThis is a grave belonging to what we believe was a free, possibly married woman, likely a respected farm mistress,\u201d Sauvage explains.<\/p>\n
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.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis is an incredibly exciting discovery,\u201d says Minister of Cultural Heritage Hanna Geiran. \u201cWell-preserved Viking skeletons are exceptionally rare, and the knowledge potential here is enormous.\u201d<\/p>\n
Norway typically has acidic soil. This tends to dissolve buried bones.<\/p>\n
The delicate remains have been removed to NTNU facilities for further study.<\/p>\n
\u201cDuring 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,\u201d explains archaeologist Hanne Bryn.<\/p>\n
Viking landscape revealed<\/p>\n
Researchers working alongside a highway construction project in Sweden\u2019s Vastmanland have uncovered nine separate Viking-era sites, including a chieftain\u2019s funeral pyre and several villages.<\/p>\n
The results of their excavations have now been published.<\/p>\n
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.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt was a place that was intended to be visible from afar,\u201d Larsson writes.<\/p>\n
The finds, dating from 800AD to 1200, include a burial mound with two swords ritually thrust vertically into the ground. \u201cIt is probably about a special armed group in the society that was buried here,\u201d Larsson said. \u201cIt could also be about kinship, that we are seeing part of a dynasty.\u201d<\/p>\n
Several other graves contained the remains of the deceased\u2019s horse and tackle, while others held dogs and birds of prey.<\/p>\n
\u201cOne can wonder whether the horse equipment has functioned as a kind of local attire, because the horses also had their own equipment,\u201d Larsson said. \u201cThis includes hanging fittings with many different shapes and many bells, so that the horses and riders could both be seen and heard.\u201d<\/p>\n
Another unusual find was a grave containing both a man and a woman.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe do not know what their relationship was \u2026 If they both belonged to a specific armed group or if one of them was sacrificed in connection with the burial,\u201d Larsson notes.<\/p>\n
Sign up to Herald Premium Editor\u2019s Picks<\/a>, delivered straight to your inbox every Friday. Editor-in-Chief Murray Kirkness picks the week\u2019s best features, interviews and investigations. Sign up for Herald Premium here<\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Trained archaeologists soon set about the site, uncovering the remains of a woman dating from the 9th century.…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":150051,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[3],"tags":[14645,2026,47753,100395,42,100393,78,41722,43,5895,100394,28821,8205,316,9423,40,38,41,39,12574,1842],"class_list":["post-150050","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-headlines","tag-beloved","tag-discovery","tag-extremely","tag-fearsome","tag-headlines","tag-historians","tag-in","tag-maiden","tag-news","tag-norway","tag-priestess","tag-princess","tag-rare","tag-shield","tag-stuns","tag-top-news","tag-top-stories","tag-topnews","tag-topstories","tag-viking","tag-wife"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/150050","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=150050"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/150050\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/150051"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=150050"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=150050"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=150050"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}