As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
Among the approximately 50 Viking tombs excavated at Åsum. Archaeologists believe the burial ground dates from the 900s, when many people in Denmark still worshipped the Old Norse gods.
(Image credit: Museum Odense)
An amazing Viking burial ground with the almost-complete skeletons of approximately 50 individuals has actually been uncovered in Denmark throughout preparations to lay electrical cable televisions.
The discoveries were made near the town of Åsum on the island of Funen over the previous 6 months by archaeologists from Museum Odense, according to a declaration
Discovering any human remains from the Viking Age (A.D. 793 to 1066 )is uncommon, in part since Scandinavian soils are acidic and do not maintain bones well. Discovering 50 burials from this time is extraordinary.
“It is really unusual to find so many well-preserved skeletons at the same time as those found in Åsum,” Michael Borre Lundø[
“The analyses might even reveal whether the buried vikings were related, which would be particularly significant, as this has never been examined in similar graves,” he included.
Related: Vikings in Norway were far more most likely to pass away violent deaths than those in Denmark
The Viking Age graves near Åsum date to the 900s, possibly to when the Danish king Gorm “the Old” and queen Thyra ruled from the close-by Jutland town of JellingHistorians disagree on where Gorm ruled, however it is usually accepted that the main island of Funen belonged to his kingdom. The brand-new finds reveal the significance of the area at the time, according to the archaeologists.
Get the world’s most remarkable discoveries provided directly to your inbox.
Gorm and Thyra were the moms and dads of Harald Bluetoothwho ended up being king after Gorm passed away in around 958, and for whom the cordless networking requirement is called. Harald declared to have actually transformed the Danes to Christianity. The Old Norse gods– such as Thor, Odin and Freyr — were worshipped in the Viking kingdom ruled by Gorm and Thyra.
Another tomb at the website included this complex three-lobed buckle for a gown, made from bronze. (Image credit: Museum Odense)
Rich dead
A number of individuals buried at Åsum were rich, their serious items suggest. One tomb, for instance, includes a lady buried in the distinct cradle-like bed of a Viking wagon.
“The woman was buried in the wagon she likely traveled in,” Borre Lundø stated. “She was given a beautiful glass bead necklace, an iron key, a knife with a silver-threaded handle and, most notably, a small shard of glass that may have served as an amulet.”
The tomb likewise consisted of a carefully embellished wood chest, the contents of which are still unidentified, he stated.
Another tomb consists of a three-lobed buckle made from bronze, along with a red glass bead, spent time the deceased’s neck; an iron knife; and a little piece of rock crystal.
“Rock crystal does not occur naturally in Denmark and was likely imported from Norway,” Borre Lundø stated. “Several items from the many graves in Åsum indicate that the buried Vikings were connected to international trade networks that developed during the Viking Age.”
Tom Metcalfe is an independent reporter and routine Live Science factor who is based in London in the United Kingdom. Tom composes primarily about science, area, archaeology, the Earth and the oceans. He has actually likewise composed for the BBC, NBC News, National Geographic, Scientific American, Air & & Space, and numerous others.
The majority of Popular
Find out more
As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
