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 really uncommon to search out so many well-preserved skeletons directly, like these found in Åsum,” museum curator Michael Borre Lundø stated in an announcement.
“This discovery gives extraordinary alternatives to carry out a variety of scientific analyses, which may reveal extra concerning the basic well being, eating regimen, and origins of these buried. The analyses may even reveal whether or not the buried vikings have been associated, which might be notably vital, as this has by no means been examined in comparable graves.”
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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 outdoors the nation, proving that they traveled internationally for commerce, in accordance with the museum.
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. (Reuters/Tom Little)
“The graves in Åsum are so well-preserved that it could be potential, for the primary time, to conduct particular aDNA analyses on a lot of the skeletons — that 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 an announcement.
“Will probably be extremely thrilling to study the place these folks 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.
A conservator at Museum Odense shows a brooch present in a Viking-age burial website. (Reuters/Tom Little)
“Usually after we excavate Viking graves, we would be fortunate if there have been two enamel left within the grave moreover the grave items,” he defined, “however right here we now have the skeletons totally preserved. The skeletons are so superb. They’re so nicely preserved. There are 5 fingers, 5 toes. And that opens up an entire new set of potentialities for discoveries.”
Among the skeletons have been buried with objects resembling knives, brooches, glass pearls and even a wagon.
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“The lady was buried within the wagon she probably traveled in,” Lundø stated.
“We should think about that she was buried together with her best garments and belongings. She was given a gorgeous glass bead necklace, an iron key, a knife with a silver-threaded deal with, and, most notably, a small shard of glass which will have served as an amulet. On the foot of the wagon, there was a finely embellished wood chest, the contents of which we nonetheless have no idea.”
A drone view reveals archaeologists engaged on excavations within the Viking-age burial website discovered within the village of Aasum, Denmark, September 25, 2024. (Reuters/Tom Little)
One other grave subsequent to the lady’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 probably imported from Norway.
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“A number of objects from the numerous graves in Åsum point out that the buried Vikings have been related to worldwide commerce networks that developed throughout the Viking Age,” he stated.
An archaeologist excavates skeletons in a pit on the Viking-age burial website within the village of Aasum, Denmark. (Reuters/Tom Little)
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.
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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.
