Fifty “exceptionally well-preserved” Viking skeletons have been unearthed in Denmark by archaeologists from the Museum Odense, west of Copenhagen, together with 5 cremated graves.
“It’s actually uncommon to seek out so many well-preserved skeletons without delay, like these found in Åsum,” museum curator Michael Borre Lundø stated in a press release. “This discovery provides extraordinary alternatives to carry out a variety of scientific analyses, which may reveal extra in regards to the basic well being, weight loss plan, and origins of these buried. The analyses would possibly even reveal whether or not the buried vikings have been associated, which might be significantly vital, as this has by no means been examined in related graves.”
The skeletons have been discovered within the Danish village of Åsum not removed from Odense, Denmark, over the previous six months and have been buried with artifacts from exterior the nation, proving that they traveled internationally for commerce, in accordance with the museum.
“The graves in Åsum are so well-preserved that it might be potential, for the primary time, to conduct particular aDNA analyses on a lot of the skeletons—which means DNA analyses on historic materials,” Sarah Croix, affiliate professor and PhD from the Division of Archaeology and Heritage Research at Aarhus College, stated in a press release. “It will likely be extremely thrilling to be taught the place these individuals got here from and whether or not the identical households have been buried right here throughout a number of generations.”
Excessive water ranges and good soil circumstances saved the skeletons from decomposing, Lundø stated.
“Usually after we excavate Viking graves, we’d be fortunate if there have been two tooth left within the grave apart from the grave items,” he defined, “however right here we now have the skeletons totally preserved. The skeletons are so superb. They’re so properly preserved. There are 5 fingers, 5 toes. And that opens up a complete new set of potentialities for discoveries.”
A few of the skeletons have been buried with objects akin to knives, brooches, glass pearls and even a wagon.
“The lady was buried within the wagon she doubtless traveled in,” Lundø stated. “We should think about that she was buried together with her most interesting garments and belongings. She was given a stupendous glass bead necklace, an iron key, a knife with a silver-threaded deal with, and, most notably, a small shard of glass that will have served as an amulet. On the foot of the wagon, there was a finely embellished picket chest, the contents of which we nonetheless have no idea.”
One other grave subsequent to the girl’s contained a bronze three-lobed brooch, a purple glass, an iron knife, and a small piece of rock crystal, which Lundø famous isn’t pure to Denmark. He stated it was doubtless imported from Norway.
“A number of objects from the various graves in Åsum point out that the buried Vikings have been related to worldwide commerce networks that developed throughout the Viking Age,” he stated.
The excavation came about in preparation for renovating {an electrical} grid.
Whereas these graves have been for top standing people, nearly all of skeletons belonged to a neighborhood of farmers, the museum stated.
The burial floor covers round 2,000 sq. meters east of Odense and is believed to be from the ninth and tenth centuries.
Reuters contributed to this report.
