Bite Marks Identified on Medieval Leather Artifact in Norway

BERGEN, NORWAY—According to a Science Norway report, archaeologist Gitte Hansen of the University of Bergen is examining a collection of medieval artifacts unearthed in western Norway’s town of Borgundkaupangen. The more than 50,000 artifacts have been held in the university’s museum since the 1950s, and nearly 7,000 of them are made of leather, Hansen said. She was analyzing the shoes in the collection to learn about the demographic composition of the town when she noticed a small sheath bearing marks that looked like they could have been made with human teeth among artifacts recovered from a shoemaker’s workshop. A comparison with some human bite marks on a modern piece of leather confirmed that the artifact had been bitten, perhaps to help pull a knife from its close-fitting cover. “I get a bit curious about whether I might be able to find out more about the person who used this sheath or this knife,” Hansen said. To read about the foundations of a medieval wharf found in Oslo, go to "Royal Wharf."