By Katy Prickett A rare coin minted by a Viking warlord after he became a Christian king is “the first in the country” to benefit from a new Treasure Act definition on “the basis of national significance”, an expert has said. The silver penny was made for Athelstan II, better known as Guthrum, who led aContinue reading “Viking king’s coin find of ‘national significance’”
Category Archives: Viking Articles
Archaeologists Find Message in a Bottle at Viking Site—Here’s What It Says
By Brian Dillon An archaeologist was shocked when he discovered a message in a bottle from over 150 years ago when digging at an old Viking graveyard. Norwegian historian Jacob Bredesen captured the moment the bottle was found, which had been left by Anders Lorange in 1874 during a dig on the site. “We haven’t openedContinue reading “Archaeologists Find Message in a Bottle at Viking Site—Here’s What It Says”
When the Vikings Crossed the Atlantic
By Daniel Weiss When a settlement at L’Anse aux Meadows, at the northern tip of Newfoundland, was first excavated in the 1960s, the style of its buildings made clear they were constructed by Vikings who had arrived from Greenland in the tenth or eleventh century. But exactly when they made their voyage, becoming the firstContinue reading “When the Vikings Crossed the Atlantic”
Did Vikings drag ships across land to avoid dangerous Scottish seas?
By Steven McKenzie Archaeologists are investigating the possibility Vikings used shortcuts over land to help them move warships and smaller boats around Scotland’s west coast. Tarbert in Kintyre is among potential locations where boats were dragged over low-lying land to reach different areas of sea and destinations beyond. The practice, called portage, would have savedContinue reading “Did Vikings drag ships across land to avoid dangerous Scottish seas?”
50 well-preserved Viking Age skeletons unearthed in Denmark
By JAMES BROOKS AASUM, Denmark (AP) — In a village in central Denmark, archeologists made a landmark discovery that could hold important clues to the Viking era: a burial ground, containing some 50 “exceptionally well-preserved” skeletons. “This is such an exciting find because we found these skeletons that are so very, very well preserved,” said archeologistContinue reading “50 well-preserved Viking Age skeletons unearthed in Denmark”