1,100-year-old ‘ceremonial’ Viking shields were actually used in battle, study suggests
The Viking shields found on the Gokstad ship in 1880 were not strictly ceremonial and may have been used in hand-to-hand combat, according to a new analysis. By Tom Metcalfe Dozens of Viking round shields from a famous ship burial unearthed in Norway were not strictly ceremonial as long thought; instead they may have protected warriors…
1,200-year-old ‘Viking graffiti’ is the oldest drawing ever discovered in Iceland
Viking boat graffiti like this record-setting carving are usually “extremely poorly done.” By Laura Geggel Archaeologists in Iceland have unearthed the country’s oldest known drawing: a scratched-out piece of “Viking graffiti” that looks like a partly drawn boat. The researchers found the graffiti in the remains of a longhouse, said Bjarni F. Einarsson, an archaeologist and manager…
Viking Age stone figurine unearthed in Iceland — but no one can agree on which animal it
The small, four-legged figurine is carved out of stone, but it’s unclear which animal it depicts. By Margherita Bassi Archaeologists in Iceland have discovered what may be a rare Viking Age toy carved out of stone, but it’s anyone’s guess as to which animal it depicts. The figurine, which experts dated to between A.D. 940 and 1000,…
Viking Age woman found buried with scallop shells on her mouth, and archaeologists are mystified
A ninth-century grave discovered in Norway held the remains of a Viking Age woman whose mouth was covered with two large scallop shells. By Kristina Killgrove A metal detectorist in central Norway recently discovered a Viking Age metal brooch. But when he led archaeologists to the site, they found much more: a burial with evidence of an unusual…
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