Seven kilometers north of Aarhus, in the town of Lisbjerg, Denmark, a team of archaeologists has discovered 30 Viking Age tombs containing numerous objects, including glass beads, coins, ceramics, scissors, and, most notably, an exceptional wooden casket adorned with precious metals that may have belonged to a high-ranking woman. The discovery is part of a […]
Vikings
Posted inMiddle Ages
The Mysterious Papar Mentioned in Sagas Who Lived in Caves in Iceland Before the Arrival of the Vikings
At that time, Iceland was a forest growing between the mountain and the coast. Christian men lived on the island then, whom the Nordic people called ”papen”; however, they later left because they did not want to live among pagans. They left behind Irish books, bells, and staffs, leading to the conclusion that they were […]
Posted inArt, Medieval Archaeology
Pregnant Viking Women Were Depicted with Weapons, Study Reveals
A team of researchers from the Universities of Nottingham and Leicester has conducted the first study on motherhood in the Viking Age, discovering that pregnant women were depicted in art and literature with martial equipment, while newborns entered a hostile world where they did not always receive a burial and, in some cases, were not […]
Posted inMiddle Ages
Olga, the Vengeful Widow Who Became the First Woman to Rule Kievan Rus and Convert to Christianity
It was the mid-10th century AD when Kievan Rus was ruled for the first time by a woman, appointed as regent on behalf of her three-year-old son. She was the one who defeated the Drevlians, a Slavic tribe that had brutally killed her husband, Prince Igor, thus avenging his memory and conquering their territory. She […]
Posted inAntiquity, Middle Ages
The Roman Empire Gave Rise to the Viking Age and the First Scandinavian Kingdoms
The period between AD 180 and 550 was an era of great transformations in Scandinavia, where ancient tribal societies faced significant challenges and the first forms of organized kingdoms began to take shape. A new book published by historian Dagfinn Skre, based on six years of research across various disciplines such as archaeology, numismatics, runology, […]
Posted inMedieval Archaeology
Mysterious Medieval Discs Found in Ukraine Are Solar Compasses Used by Viking Navigators for Orientation
A recent study published by scholars Olena Veremeychyk and Olga Antowska-Gorączniak analyzes the possible function of pyrophyllite discs found in southern Ukraine. These medieval artifacts may have served as tools, ritual objects, or even advanced navigation instruments. The significance of this study lies not only in the physical findings but also in the cultural and […]
Posted inCulture, Middle Ages
Siglas Poveiras: The Unusual Proto-Writing Left by Vikings to Portuguese Fishermen
Porto is one of the typical destinations for a vacation or tourist visit in Portugal. However, for those who are already familiar with the city or seek something beyond the usual, a trip to Póvoa de Varzim is highly recommended. This town, located about 30 kilometers away, boasts two particularly special spots not to be […]
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 inMiddle Ages
Why Inuit Culture Survived in Greenland While the Norse Disappeared: Children’s Toys Made the Difference
During the Little Ice Age, a period marked by freezing temperatures and extreme climatic conditions, two cultures coexisted in Greenland: the Inuit and the Norse. Although both groups faced the same environmental challenges, their fates could not have been more different. The Inuit thrived and adapted, while the Norse disappeared from the island. A recent […]
Posted inMedieval Archaeology
An Exceptional Viking Sword Forged in the Late 9th Century, Found by an Army Museum Employee While Swimming in a River in Poland
In November 2024, the Army Museum in Białystok unveiled an impressive historical treasure: a Viking-era sword, dated between the 9th and 10th centuries. This exceptional discovery was made by a museum employee, Szczepan Skibicki, during a dive in the Supraśl River in the Podlachia region of Poland in the summer of 2022. The sword, accompanied […]
