An amateur Norwegian treasure hunter armed with his metal detector recently discovered a Viking-era metal brooch in the Trøndelag region of central Norway. This discovery, which was very interesting, made archaeologists want to search the site in more detail and what they found there was even more than that: an entire burial was revealed and with it, a mysterious ritual that until now could not be explained.
Inside the tomb, the remains of a woman were found. The latter wore typical Viking era clothing and was decorated with jewelry from the 9th century, as explained by Live Science media. But the most surprising detail lies in two seashells placed near the deceased’s mouth. Researchers believe that this may have been an unusual burial ritual that had never been performed before.
Mysterious shell
According to archaeologists, the woman wore an “outer” dress fastened with two oval brooches on the shoulders, as well as an inner dress fastened with a small brooch. Her jewelry and clothes read “that she was a free woman and perhaps married, perhaps a farm mistress», explains Raymond Sauvage, senior engineer at the University Museum of the Norwegian University of Science and Technology and project manager.
The discovery is all the more surprising because it is unusual to find a well-preserved skeleton in such an ancient tomb, stressed Hanna Geiran, general director of the Norwegian Cultural Heritage Directorate.
But why this typo? Right now, it’s a bit vague. “We haven’t seen any signs like holes», Shows Raymond Sauvage. Additional analysis is underway to try to provide answers. However, researchers believe that this particular ornament originates from the region, as shells are common in northeastern Atlantic waters, especially in Trøndelag.
The symbolic meaning of the bird shells and bones found in the tomb still escapes us. Conch shell motif on a 9th century Roman coffine century has been interpreted as a symbol of the afterlife; in the Middle Ages, we know that it was similar to the Christian emblem associated with Saint James and the pilgrimage of the same name. However, no one explains its use by the Vikings.
Earlier this year, a second skeleton was discovered at the same location, likely dating to the 8th century.e century. Archaeologists are now trying to understand who these individuals were and why they were buried so close together, through samples and in-depth examination of the skeletons. “The goal is to learn more about this person and, if possible, its relationship to previous discoveries at the same site»concluded Raymond Sauvage. What if they really like eating shellfish?
