TROMSØ, NORWAY—According to a statement released by the Arctic University of Norway, archaeology student Tor-Kjetil Krokmyrdal has discovered a Viking trade center in northern Norway on the coast of the island of Hinnøya. Jewelry, weights, coins, and items related to forging iron and shipbuilding and repair have been recovered. The ninth-century site is the first of its kind to be found in the region. Krokmyrdal said he began searching the site with a metal detector because the village where the site is located is named “Sandtorg,” which translates to “market or trading place at Sand.” Tjelsund, the name of the local municipality, is related to the word “tjelde,” which means to spend a night in or under a boat resting on land. Krokmyrdal thinks a ninth-century chieftain living at the site may have controlled shipping through the straits separating the island from the mainland. “The location is also very strategic in terms of trade,” Krokmyrdal said. “The current at Sandtorg is really strong, and all the travelers would have to wait until the current turned before they could continue their journey," he explained. To read about a Viking ship burial recently excavated on the Norwegian island of Edoya, go to "Sailing the Viking Seas."
