TRONDHEIM, NORWAY—According to a statement released by the Norwegian University of Science and Technology, six pieces of wool and two pieces of linen have been recovered from a Viking woman’s grave in central Norway dated to between A.D. 850 and 950. Some of the textiles were found in layers in the pins of the woman’s brooches, and may represent inner and outer garments. One of the pieces of fabric, found with an oval brooch, measures about four inches long. Archaeologist Raymond Sauvage said the woman also had several hundred small pearls over her right shoulder that may have been embroidered into a garment. She is thought to have been buried in a pinafore dress fastened with brooches. Under the dress, she probably wore a shirt of linen or fine wool, and over it, a cape decorated with embroidery and edged with narrow braid, added archaeologist Ruth Iren Øien. Further investigation will focus on attempting to determine the colors of the fabrics. Chemical analysis of the wool could reveal if it was made from local sheep or had been imported. To read about a new analysis of a Viking helmet unearthed in northeastern England in the 1950s, go to "An Enduring Design."
