This is 88 of our ongoing series about Viking Age Iceland. For centuries, this island country, unique in Medieval Europe, operated with no king, no great lords, no foreign policy, and no defense forces but which developed legal and judicial systems to limit the violence of bloodfeud and protect the rights of freemen. Far out in the North Atlantic, Iceland was where theContinue reading “Viking Age Iceland: Warfare”
Category Archives: old norse blog
‘Extraordinary’ Viking combs reveal Ipswich’s medieval importance
By Katy Prickett An unearthed collection of Viking combs is “extraordinary and unique in the UK”, according to archaeologists. The antler and bone finds were discovered in Ipswich, Suffolk, during 40 excavations over the course of 20 years. Authors Ian Riddler and Nicola Trzaska-Nartowski said they included “an extraordinary sequence of Viking combs unmatched elsewhereContinue reading “‘Extraordinary’ Viking combs reveal Ipswich’s medieval importance”
Viking market may be buried on a Norwegian island, radar suggests
By Tom Metcalfe The Norwegian island of Klosterøy is famous for its medieval monastery, but new research suggests it was important long before that. A Viking Age marketplace may be buried on a Norwegian island, new research suggests. Archaeologists surveying part of the historic island of Klosterøy, in southwest Norway about 190 miles (300 kilometers) westContinue reading “Viking market may be buried on a Norwegian island, radar suggests”
Viking Age Iceland: Advocacy and Arbitration
This is 87 of our ongoing series about Viking Age Iceland. For centuries, this island country, unique in Medieval Europe, operated with no king, no great lords, no foreign policy, and no defense forces but which developed legal and judicial systems to limit the violence of bloodfeud and protect the rights of freemen. Far out in the North Atlantic, Iceland was where theContinue reading “Viking Age Iceland: Advocacy and Arbitration”
1,300-Year-Old Ship Burial Unearthed in Norway
By Sarah Kuta Archaeologists in Norway have discovered a 1,300-year-old ship burial that pre-dates the Viking Age. It’s now the oldest known ship burial in Scandinavia, according to a statement from the Norwegian University of Science and Technology. Researchers discovered the ship burial while investigating a large, grassy hill in the coastal community of Leka. Known as theContinue reading “1,300-Year-Old Ship Burial Unearthed in Norway”