Fifty “exceptionally well-preserved” Viking skeletons have been unearthed in Denmark by archaeologists from the Museum Odense, west of Copenhagen, together with 5 cremated graves.
“It’s really uncommon to search out so many well-preserved skeletons without delay, like these found in Åsum,” museum curator Michael Borre Lundø stated in an announcement. “This discovery presents extraordinary alternatives to carry out a variety of scientific analyses, which might reveal extra concerning the normal well being, food plan, and origins of these buried. The analyses would possibly even reveal whether or not the buried vikings had been associated, which might be notably vital, as this has by no means been examined in related graves.”
The skeletons had been discovered within the Danish village of Åsum not removed from Odense, Denmark, over the previous six months and had been buried with artifacts from exterior the nation, proving that they traveled internationally for commerce, in keeping with the museum.
Fifty “exceptionally well-preserved” Viking skeletons have been unearthed in Denmark by archaeologists from the Museum Odense, west of Copenhagen, together with 5 cremated graves. (Reuters/Tom Little)
“The graves in Åsum are so well-preserved that it could be attainable, for the primary time, to conduct particular aDNA analyses on many of the skeletons—which means DNA analyses on historical materials,” Sarah Croix, affiliate professor and PhD from the Division of Archaeology and Heritage Research at Aarhus College, stated in an announcement. “Will probably be extremely thrilling to study the place these individuals got here from and whether or not the identical households had been buried right here throughout a number of generations.”
Excessive water ranges and good soil circumstances stored the skeletons from decomposing, Lundø stated.
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A conservator at Museum Odense shows a brooch present in a Viking-age burial website. (Reuters/Tom Little)
“Usually once we excavate Viking graves, we might be fortunate if there have been two tooth left within the grave moreover the grave items,” he defined, “however right here we’ve got the skeletons totally preserved. The skeletons are so superb. They’re so properly preserved. There are 5 fingers, 5 toes. And that opens up an entire new set of prospects for discoveries.”
A few of the skeletons had been buried with gadgets comparable to knives, brooches, glass pearls and even a wagon.
“The girl was buried within the wagon she probably traveled in,” Lundø stated. “We should think about that she was buried together with her best garments and belongings. She was given an exquisite glass bead necklace, an iron key, a knife with a silver-threaded deal with, and, most notably, a small shard of glass which will have served as an amulet. On the foot of the wagon, there was a finely embellished picket chest, the contents of which we nonetheless have no idea.”
A drone view reveals archaeologists engaged on excavations within the Viking-age burial website discovered within the village of Aasum, Denmark, September 25, 2024. (Reuters/Tom Little)
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One other grave subsequent to the lady’s contained a bronze three-lobed brooch, a purple glass, an iron knife, and a small piece of rock crystal, which Lundø famous isn’t pure to Denmark. He stated it was probably imported from Norway.
“A number of gadgets from the numerous graves in Åsum point out that the buried Vikings had been linked to worldwide commerce networks that developed throughout the Viking Age,” he stated.
An archaeologist excavates skeletons in a pit on the Viking-age burial website within the village of Aasum, Denmark. (Reuters/Tom Little)
The excavation passed off in preparation for renovating {an electrical} grid.
Whereas these graves had been for top standing people, the vast majority of skeletons belonged to a neighborhood of farmers, the museum stated.
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The burial floor covers round 2,000 sq. meters east of Odense and is believed to be from the ninth and tenth centuries.
Reuters contributed to this report.
