Archaeologists uncovered a wealth of Viking Age artifacts at Skumsnes farm in Fitjar, on Norway’s west coast, shedding new light on the roles of women in Viking society. The excavations revealed the graves of three highly respected and wealthy Viking women from the early ninth century, filled with treasures indicating their high social status, according to Forskning.
The discovery began after artifact hunters using metal detectors found an ancient coin and brooch near the town of Fitjar last year, leading to the excavations at Skumsnes where the relics were confirmed to be from the Viking Age, as reported by Popular Science.
Archaeologist Søren Diinhoff highlighted the remarkable condition of the items discovered at Skumsnes. “It is special to find a burial ground with such beautifully preserved artifacts,” he said, according to Science Norway. Many of the buried individuals were adorned with fine jewelry, which accounts for the wealth of goods found within the graves.
One of the graves featured stones carefully arranged in the shape of a long Viking boat, known as the Boat Grave. This was the most ornate burial for a high-ranking woman, as detailed by Arkeonews. Inside the grave, archaeologists discovered jewelry and oval-shaped brooches typical of Viking women’s attire, including pieces that probably came from England or Ireland. The woman was also equipped with wool shears, a hetchel, a spindle whorl, and a weaving sword—all tools used in textile production.
“Textile production was prestigious. Farms that made fine clothes had high status,” said Diinhoff, emphasizing the woman’s role in the community, as reported by Popular Science. The presence of a bronze key in her grave represented her position as the head of the household.
Among the grave goods were eleven silver coins, including one from Hedeby—a rare variant from the Danish Viking towns of Hedeby or Ribe. “That coin is perhaps the finest find from here,” Diinhoff remarked, according to Forskning. The coins, along with a necklace made of 46 glass beads, demonstrate the Viking Age’s vast trading networks and the woman’s connections to the continent.
Another artifact found in the Boat Grave was a stone resembling female genitalia, referred to by researchers as a vulva stone. “That the stone resembles a woman is no coincidence. It’s so obvious,” Diinhoff stated, according to All That’s Interesting. The stone was placed where the mast of the stone ship would have been, possibly serving as a marker to indicate the grave belonged to a woman.
Despite the array of artifacts, no skeletal remains were found at the site. Diinhoff explained the challenges in preserving human remains in the region. “That’s the problem with the West Coast. The bone remains are eaten by the soil here,” he said, according to Science Norway. This absence has led researchers to speculate about the nature of the burials. One theory is that the Boat Grave may actually be a cenotaph—a memorial for someone buried elsewhere.
The second woman was interred in a natural rock crevice overlaid with stones, a common Viking practice at the time. In her grave, archaeologists found more jewelry, including oval brooches and a necklace, indicating her high status. Researchers believe that both women may have come from abroad and married into the Skumsnes community, as suggested by Forskning.
The findings at Skumsnes have prompted plans for further excavations. Archaeologists believe there could be as many as 20 graves in the area. “Metal detectors have picked up signals in multiple spots,” Diinhoff said, according to Science Norway. “The burial site lies just beneath the peat. The signals are so strong that we can almost pinpoint where the brooches are.”
“Through textile work, women could accumulate wealth in the early Viking Age,” said Unn Pedersen, an expert on the Viking Age who has researched jewelry, crafts, and decorative objects from the period, as reported by Forskning. The discoveries underscore the importance of fabric production in Viking society and the financial influence that women had when running textile businesses.
The article was written with the assistance of a news analysis system.
This article was originally published at www.jpost.com
