Recent analysis of the only intact Viking boat burial ever discovered on the British mainland has revealed new information about the identity, culture, and origins of the interred individual. The tenth-century grave, which belonged to a high-status warrior, was first discovered in 2011 in western Scotland. Isotope analysis of two teeth indicates that the occupant of the grave was likely born in Scandinavia. The grave assemblage included several weapons, typical of Viking warrior burials, and other items related more to daily life such as food preparation and farming. The artifacts came from a wide range of sources, including Ireland, Scotland, and Scandinavia, underscoring the broad geographical connections of the well-traveled warrior. Says University of Leicester archaeologist Oliver Harris, “This burial helps us learn about how Viking people were interacting and eventually settling in this part of Scotland at the time.”
The Vikings’ Wide Reach
SHARE:
Recommended Articles
Digs & Discoveries July/August 2023
Bog Togs
(Alan Richardson Pix-AR)
Digs & Discoveries January/February 2023
Storming the Castle
(Courtesy Copyright HES)
Digs & Discoveries September/October 2022
Pictish Pictograms
(University of Aberdeen)
Off the Grid July/August 2022
Jarlshof, Shetland, Scotland
(Courtesy Stephen Dockrill)
-
Features May/June 2017
The Blackener’s Cave
Viking Age outlaws, taboo, and ritual in Iceland’s lava fields
(Photo: Samir S. Patel) -
Features May/June 2017
After the Battle
The defeat of a Scottish army at the 1650 Battle of Dunbar was just the beginning of an epic ordeal for the survivors
(Mary Evans Picture Library / Alamy Stock Photo) -
Letter from Greenland May/June 2017
The Ghosts of Kangeq
The race to save Greenland’s Arctic coastal heritage from a shifting climate
(Photo: R. Fortuna, National Museum of Denmark 2016) -
Artifacts May/June 2017
Maya Jade Pectoral
(Courtesy Toledo Regional Archaeological Project, UCSD)