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Archaeologist Søren Diinhoff revealed there have been more excavations of Viking graves in the last year than the past ten years prior in Norway. These great finds aren't just taking place in Europe, there are incredible Viking artifacts in North America as well.
In this particular graveyard, archaeologists stumbled upon quite a treasure trove, which was all kick-started by an enthusiast and their metal detector.
The area might contain 20 graves of former Vikings. Thus far, three have been examined, and the inside of the graves did not disappoint. However, there were some questionable things that weren't found, such as the remains of the female Vikings.
Let's take a closer look at why the bones were not in the graves, and what made these burials so special and unique.
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Graves Of Viking Women In Western Norway Were Made Out Of A Natural Rock Overlaid With Stones
After a coin and brooch were found with the use of a metal detector by discovery enthusiasts, Søren Diinhoff from the University Museum of Bergen and his team decided to do some digging of their own. According to Science Norway, the west coast of Norway is the hot spot for this discovery, located on the Skumsnes farm in Fitjar.
Diinhoff and his team uncovered quite the site, with around 20 graves belonging to Vikings. Three graves, in particular of Viking women, were further inspected.
Diinhoff said of the discovery, "From a research perspective, this is a small treasure trove."
The graves date back to the first half of the 9th century, according to Science Norway.
What was unusual about the Viking graves?
One woman was buried in natural crevice in the rock, covered with stones (common for Viking burials). Grave contained costume jewelry and brooches. Other grave saw stones placed in a boat shape. The boat size was four meters long. Necklace made of 46 glass beads and 100 coins also retrieved.
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According to Diinhoff, out of all the interesting objects found, a certain coin was the most unique.
"That coin might be the most remarkable find here," says Diinhoff. "I plan to have it tattooed this winter."
He continues, "Both of these women had contacts outside Norway. It's probably no coincidence. Perhaps they came from abroad and married into the local community."
Despite The Wealth Of Jewelry Found And Other Personal Belongings, Bones Were Not Retrieved In The Tombs
What the graves did not contain were human remains. Diinhoff believes this is partly because of the soil that is able to consume bone remains.
Archaeologists also speculate that maybe the Viking wasn't buried at all, and that the grave served as a memorial of sorts.
Although this particular excavation did not recover remains, just a couple of months ago, Danish Excavation leader, Michael Borre Lundoe, uncovered 50 Viking age skeletons. As the video below shows, the skeletons were well-preserved despite so much time in-between.
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What Was Found In The Third Viking Grave?
View of Hvalsey Viking Church and homesteads in south Greenland
Unfortunately, the third Viking grave was not fully excavated due to lack of time. Archaeologists found so much more than expected in the first two graves, securing 20 beads, along with silver-plated jewelry. The belief is that there are several other graves in the area, as many as 20.
"The burial site lies just beneath the peat. The signals are so strong that we can almost pinpoint where the brooches are," Diinhoff tells Science Norway.
What Does The Future Hold For The Graves?
Diinhoff and his team are hoping the graves can withstand the conditions, but believes a lot of the graves won't make it to another 50 years.
"Metal detectors sometimes force us to excavate graves we would have otherwise preserved. But much of what we find with metal detectors will only be recoverable for a few more years before it's destroyed." He concludes, "When we're finally on-site, we often learn that a grave was found years ago but was simply plowed over. We're losing an immense number of these graves,"
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Here's to hoping the exciting Viking area is revisited in the future.