Archaeologists in Norway have uncovered a rare and well-preserved Viking Age grave containing the remains of a woman buried with jewellery, clothing accessories and an unexplained ritual involving two scallop shells. The discovery was made at Val in Bjugn, a rural area in central Norway’s Trøndelag region, during a follow-up investigation prompted by a metal-detector find.
The initial clue came from detectorist Roy Søreng, who located artefacts in a field and reported them to specialists at the NTNU Science Museum and the Trøndelag County Council. A subsequent excavation revealed a 9th-century burial that researchers believe belonged to a woman living on a local farm.
It was metal detectorist Roy Søreng who found the bowl buckle. Photo: Roy Søreng.
“The Viking Age grave contains what we believe to be a woman, buried with typical Viking Age clothing and jewelry from the 9th century. This suggests that she was a free and probably married woman, perhaps a housewife on the farm,” says senior engineer Raymond Sauvage of the museum’s Department of Archaeology and Cultural History.
Because of the quality and fragility of the remains, the Norwegian Ministry of Cultural Heritage provided funding for what is known as a “security excavation,” allowing archaeologists to record the grave in detail. Both skeletal elements and grave goods survived in unusually good condition.
This bowl buckle is among the finds from the grave in Bjugn. Photo: Raymond Sauvage, NTNU Science Museum
“This is an incredibly exciting discovery,” says Hanna Geiran, Norway’s Minister of Cultural Heritage. “It is very unusual to have such a well-preserved skeleton in old graves, and this find has great cultural heritage value and knowledge potential. Therefore, it was important for the Norwegian Ministry of Cultural Heritage to provide funds to ensure this as best as possible.”
She also praised those who made the discovery possible. “I would like to commend both the landowner and the finder for allowing us to now learn a little more about a fascinating period in our common history. The Viking Age is of interest to many, and we now look forward to learning more after the further research at the NTNU Science Museum,” Geiran notes.
From the farm in Bjugn where the Viking grave was found. Photo: Kristoffer Rantala, NTNU Science Museum
Among the grave goods were two oval brooches used to fasten the straps of a woman’s apron-style dress, along with a small ring brooch that would have secured the neckline of an under-dress. These items are typical of female burials in Scandinavia during the Viking Age.
However, the most unusual element of the grave was found at the mouth of the deceased.
“The most striking thing is two scallops placed at the mouth of the deceased. This is a practice that is not previously known from pre-Christian graves in Norway. We do not yet know what the symbolism means,” says Sauvage, who is also the project manager for the research.
The excavation was carried out in October. Photo: NTNU Science Museum.
Further analysis at the NTNU Science Museum will examine the woman’s origins, health, and the meaning of the grave’s unusual ritual features. The researchers hope the burial will offer new insights into life in Viking-Age rural Norway—and the beliefs that shaped death and burial in the centuries before Christianization.
Top Image: Photo Raymond Sauvage, NTNU Science Museum
Archaeologists in Norway have uncovered a rare and well-preserved Viking Age grave containing the remains of a woman buried with jewellery, clothing accessories and an unexplained ritual involving two scallop shells. The discovery was made at Val in Bjugn, a rural area in central Norway’s Trøndelag region, during a follow-up investigation prompted by a metal-detector find.
The initial clue came from detectorist Roy Søreng, who located artefacts in a field and reported them to specialists at the NTNU Science Museum and the Trøndelag County Council. A subsequent excavation revealed a 9th-century burial that researchers believe belonged to a woman living on a local farm.
“The Viking Age grave contains what we believe to be a woman, buried with typical Viking Age clothing and jewelry from the 9th century. This suggests that she was a free and probably married woman, perhaps a housewife on the farm,” says senior engineer Raymond Sauvage of the museum’s Department of Archaeology and Cultural History.
Because of the quality and fragility of the remains, the Norwegian Ministry of Cultural Heritage provided funding for what is known as a “security excavation,” allowing archaeologists to record the grave in detail. Both skeletal elements and grave goods survived in unusually good condition.
“This is an incredibly exciting discovery,” says Hanna Geiran, Norway’s Minister of Cultural Heritage. “It is very unusual to have such a well-preserved skeleton in old graves, and this find has great cultural heritage value and knowledge potential. Therefore, it was important for the Norwegian Ministry of Cultural Heritage to provide funds to ensure this as best as possible.”
She also praised those who made the discovery possible. “I would like to commend both the landowner and the finder for allowing us to now learn a little more about a fascinating period in our common history. The Viking Age is of interest to many, and we now look forward to learning more after the further research at the NTNU Science Museum,” Geiran notes.
Among the grave goods were two oval brooches used to fasten the straps of a woman’s apron-style dress, along with a small ring brooch that would have secured the neckline of an under-dress. These items are typical of female burials in Scandinavia during the Viking Age.
However, the most unusual element of the grave was found at the mouth of the deceased.
“The most striking thing is two scallops placed at the mouth of the deceased. This is a practice that is not previously known from pre-Christian graves in Norway. We do not yet know what the symbolism means,” says Sauvage, who is also the project manager for the research.
Further analysis at the NTNU Science Museum will examine the woman’s origins, health, and the meaning of the grave’s unusual ritual features. The researchers hope the burial will offer new insights into life in Viking-Age rural Norway—and the beliefs that shaped death and burial in the centuries before Christianization.
Top Image: Photo Raymond Sauvage, NTNU Science Museum
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