A team of archaeologists from the Odense Museum has unearthed more than 50 exceptionally well-preserved skeletons in Åsum, east of Odense, Denmark. These remains, accompanied by artifacts from distant places beyond the Danish borders, confirm that the Vikings traveled extensively for trade.

Over the past six months, archaeologists have discovered more than 50 Viking graves at this site, providing a unique opportunity to learn more about the daily lives of the people who lived in the region during the 10th century, when Gorm and Thyra ruled in Jelling. According to Michael Borre Lundø, archaeologist and curator at the Odense Museum, the remains could provide precise data on the Vikings’ diet and the extent of their travel for trade.

Borre Lundø emphasized the uniqueness of finding so many well-preserved skeletons at once, opening up possibilities for advanced scientific analysis that could reveal details about the health, diet, and origins of those buried. These studies could even determine whether the people buried were related, which would be an unprecedented discovery in similar graves.

Bronze object found in one of the tombs
Bronze object found in one of the tombs. Credit: Museum Odense

Sarah Croix, associate professor at Aarhus University, also highlighted the importance of the find. According to her, the skeletons are so well-preserved that, for the first time, ancient DNA analysis could be performed on most of them, which would allow researchers to determine the geographic origins of the buried Vikings and whether multiple generations of the same family were buried in this location.

Some of the skeletons belonged to individuals of high status, as indicated by the grave goods found. One particularly noteworthy grave is that of a woman who was buried in a Viking wagon, with fine garments and personal items, including a necklace of glass beads, an iron key, and a silver-handled knife.

According to Michael Borre Lundø, the woman was buried in the wagon she likely traveled in. We must imagine that she was buried with her best clothes and belongings. She was given a beautiful necklace of glass beads, an iron key, a knife with a handle threaded in silver, and, above all, a small piece of crystal that may have served as an amulet. At the foot of the wagon was a finely decorated wooden chest, the contents of which we still do not know.

Decorated bronze amulet found in one of the tombs
Decorated bronze amulet found in one of the tombs. Credit: Museum Odense

Another grave contains a bronze brooch, a red glass bead, an iron knife, and a small rock crystal, indicating that the Vikings of Åsum were connected to international trade networks. The rock crystal, for example, was probably imported from Norway.

The Viking cemetery at Åsum covers approximately 2000 square meters and was used between the 9th and 10th centuries. This discovery reinforces Åsum’s importance as a key point in the urban development that culminated in the founding of Odense.

This cemetery adds to the largest Viking Age sites found on the island of Funen and could provide new insights into how the Vikings lived and traded in their time.

According to Borre Lundø, it is fascinating to imagine that the buried Vikings were undoubtedly aware of the nascent urban development taking place just five kilometers to the west of where they lived, then known as Odins Vi. Their descendants witnessed the consolidation of Odense as a city, while Harald Bluetooth built one of his ring fortresses – Nonnebakken – to the south of the river as part of his effort to unify the kingdom.

SOURCES

Museum Odense

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