Posted inMedieval Archaeology

Mysterious Viking Women’s Tombs Filled with Extraordinary Artifacts Discovered in Norway Contain No Human Remains

At the Skumsnes farm, located on Norway’s west coast, metal detector enthusiasts discovered a coin and a brooch with textile remnants in this area last year. Now, archaeologists from the University of Bergen have confirmed that these objects come from a Viking cemetery dating to the first half of the 9th century. According to researchers, […]

Posted inArt, Iron Age Archaeology

Only Four Artists Created Practically All Iron Age Petroglyphs in Sweden and Norway

A recent study, not yet peer-reviewed, proposes a reinterpretation of the famous Iron Age petroglyphs (helleristninger) in Norway and Sweden, suggesting that almost all of them were created by just four artists. The research, conducted by Allan Krill, a professor of geology at the Norwegian University of Science and Technology, is based on advanced dating […]

Posted inMedieval Archaeology

A Man Thrown Into a Well 900 Years Ago, Identified and Linked to Viking Sagas

Archaeology and genetics have come together in a fascinating investigation into a skeleton discovered in the well of Sverresborg Castle, Norway, in 1938. The remains, which were recovered in 2016, had already confirmed the story told by Viking sagas as we reviewed then in our Spanish edition. Now, information about the man’s identity has been […]

Posted inBronze Age Archaeology

The Lost Shipyards of the Nordic Bronze Age, an Enigma Hidden in Plain Sight

The Nordic Bronze Age, marked by its iconic imagery of ships carved into rocks and metal objects scattered throughout Scandinavia, has always left an unsolved enigma for archaeologists: where were these ships built? Despite the abundance of ship representations in the region’s archaeology, direct evidence of prehistoric shipyards has been extremely scarce. Now a new […]

Posted inMedieval Archaeology

The Vikings were passionate about tapestries decorated with historical scenes, and we will soon find out which ones were their favorites

Among significant viking archaeological discoveries is the Oseberg ship, one of the best-preserved Viking ships in the world, measuring 22 meters in length and 5 meters in width. This impressive vessel was discovered within one of the most famous ship burial sites from the Viking Age, known for being the most richly equipped grave from […]

Posted inGeography

Longyearbyen, the northernmost city in the world with a permanent population, where carrying a rifle is mandatory when leaving

In the Svalbard archipelago, at 78 degrees north latitude, lies Longyearbyen, the northernmost city in the world with a permanent population. This Norwegian settlement, founded in 1906 by American businessman John Munroe Longyear as a mining town, has evolved over more than a century to become a fascinating microcosm of human life in the Arctic. […]

Posted inMedieval Archaeology

The Norwegian Vikings Possessed an Abundant and Disproportionate Number of Swords

A recent study published in the Journal of Anthropological Archaeology reveals that Norwegian Viking society was significantly more violent than that of Denmark. This finding is based on a detailed analysis of skeletal traumas, weapons, and archaeological evidence reflecting the social and political dynamics of these ancient Scandinavian peoples. The study offers an innovative perspective […]

Posted inBronze Age Archaeology

30 Circular Stone Tombs of Children from 2800 Years Ago Found in Norway Are a Unique Discovery in Europe

In December 2023, archaeologists from the Museum of Cultural History in Oslo discovered an unknown burial site in a quarry near Fredrikstad, in southeastern Norway. This find has revealed an astonishing set of more than 30 tombs, most of them belonging to babies, buried over 2000 years ago. The team of archaeologists, led by Guro […]

Posted inMiddle Ages

Kristina, the Medieval Norwegian Princess Whose Remains Were Found in 1958 in a Collegiate Church in Burgos, Spain

It was common for kings throughout the centuries to forge alliances and diplomatic relationships through marriage policies. In the history of Spain, there are numerous examples of queens consort from various parts of Europe, primarily from Portugal, France, England, Austria, and Italy. Sometimes they came from less frequent places, like Greece or the one we […]