Tag

Viking Age

All articles tagged with #viking age

archaeology11 days ago•123 min saved

Metal-detecting mistake uncovers rare 900-year-old Magnus Barefoot coin in Norway

A Norwegian metal detectorist mistook a 900-year-old silver coin for a button, only for researchers to confirm it as a rare Magnus Barefoot-era artifact (1093–1103). Found near Utstein Monastery, the coin’s copper-backed side was turned into jewelry, and X-rays revealed a griffin paired with a cross-over-cross motif—one of only four known examples of this design. The find, one of about 100 coins from Barefoot’s reign, sheds new light on late Viking-Age minting and Barefoot’s high-silver standard before his death in 1103.

via Live Science|

#archaeology #coin #magnus-barefoot

culture16 days ago•2 min saved

Viking textile hub uncovered in Denmark reveals a sophisticated economy

Archaeologists near Aarhus, Denmark, uncovered 82 pit houses forming a large, specialized Viking textile workshop complex dating to the 7th–10th centuries, with a complete production chain and finds (loom weights, spindle whorls, beads, internationally circulated coins) indicating extensive trade networks and a highly developed economy beyond warfare.

via Euronews.com|

#archaeology #culture #denmark

world27 days ago•76 min saved

Colossal Viking textile workshop unearthed in Søften, Denmark

Archaeologists in Søften, Denmark, have uncovered a large Viking Age textile production site, indicating a highly organized workshop that fed an expansive international trade network beyond the local area; researchers plan carbon dating and pollen analysis to determine the production scope and the textiles’ connections.

via AP News|

#archaeology #denmark #soften

world2 months ago•1 min saved

Norway Uncovers Massive Viking-Age Coin Hoard, Largest in History

Two private metal detectorists in Østerdalen, Norway uncovered 2,970 silver coins dating to around 1047—the largest Viking Age coin hoard found in Norwegian history. The coins include pieces minted under Cnut the Great, Æthelred II, Otto III and Harald Hardrada, and researchers say the stash likely reflects iron-production trade in the region. Excavations continue with restricted access, and the hoard will be transported to the Museum of Cultural History’s Coin Cabinet for cataloguing and study.

via USA Today|

#archaeology #coin-hoard #museum

world2 months ago•2 min saved

Norway Uncovers Record Viking Coin Hoard

Metal detectorists in Innlandet near the village of Rena uncovered Norway’s largest Viking Age coin hoard, a find that dwarfs previous discoveries with more than 3,150 coins recovered and counting; the trove, dating to the late 10th to early 11th centuries and minted across England, Germany, Denmark, and Norway, emerged after two private citizens found a smaller batch of 19 coins on April 10, prompting a broader archaeological probe. Researchers say the coins shed new light on the era’s economy amid political upheaval and foreign wealth, with coins tied to rulers like Cnut the Great, Ethelred II, Otto III, and Harald Hardrada; the search for more treasure continues, and officials call the discovery historic.

via CBS News|

#archaeology #coins #norway

history-and-archaeology2 years ago•3 min saved

"Historians Claim Cerne Abbas Giant Represents Hercules and Served as Military Rallying Site"

New research from the University of Oxford suggests that the Cerne Abbas giant, a large hill figure in Dorset, England, represents Hercules and may have served as a muster station for West Saxon armies during Viking invasions in the 10th century. Historians Helen Gittos and Tom Morcom argue that the figure's location and characteristics align with those of a "hanging promontory" site, ideal for army gatherings. This recontextualizes the giant from a mysterious figure to a significant cultural and historical symbol in the local landscape.

via The Guardian|

#archaeology #cerne-abbas-giant #hercules

archaeology2 years ago•3 min saved

"Lost Earring Leads to Ancient Viking Treasure Unearthed by Norwegian Family"

A Norwegian family searching for a lost earring in their yard using a metal detector stumbled upon a Viking treasure buried beneath a large tree. The relics, believed to be from the Viking Age, include two bronze ornaments that were once covered in gold. The discovery confirms that people lived on the remote island of Jomfruland during that time. Archaeologists suspect that more artifacts and a Viking grave may still be buried nearby. The artifacts will be assessed for preservation, and if deemed safe, they may be left in situ rather than excavated.

via Livescience.com|

#archaeology #metal-detector #norway

archaeology3 years ago•4 min saved

Reconsidering Viking Age Shields: Ceremonial or Combat Ready?

Rolf Fabricius Warming, a Swedish archaeologist, has re-examined the 64 round shields found in a Viking Age longship burial mound in Norway. While the original assessment considered them to be constructed for a burial rite ceremony, Warming's research suggests that they were combat-ready shields with small holes around the circumference for attaching thin, parchment-like rawhide covers. The shields were ultimately used in a ceremonial burial rite, but their construction and previous uses were not as straightforward as originally reported. Warming's analysis demonstrates the importance of re-examining artifacts with new knowledge and analysis techniques.

via Phys.org|

#archaeology #burial #combat