Latest news with #MoesgaardMuseum
Yahoo
9 hours ago
- Science
- Yahoo
Viking Age burial of chieftain with 'enormous power' found in Denmark — and he may have served Harald Bluetooth
When you buy through links on our articles, Future and its syndication partners may earn a commission. Archaeologists in Denmark have discovered 30 Viking Age graves likely of an elite family that may have served under Harald Bluetooth, the famed king of Denmark and Norway who ruled during the 10th century. The remarkable graves contained coins, pearls and ceramics, according to a translated statement from Moesgaard Museum, which ran the excavation. Burials from the Viking Age (A.D. 793 to 1066) are not uncovered very often, Liv Stidsing Reher-Langberg, an archaeologist at the museum and excavation leader at the burial site, told Live Science in an email. Most graves from this time are found with few or no grave goods, she added. These newly unearthed burials in Lisbjerg, near Aarhus, however, came with an unusual number of lavish items, suggesting that the people buried in them were prosperous and of high status. "The burial site here at Lisbjerg is quite special," Reher-Langberg said. The archaeologists had previously found a chieftain's farm nearby, so they associated these graves with him. This nobleman would have been part of the aristocracy at the time, just below King Bluetooth in the social hierarchy. Bluetooth was extremely influential, joining the tribes of the region into one kingdom — which is why the technology that unites electronic devices is named after him. "The chieftain in Lisbjerg had enormous power — economically, politically, religiously and socially," Reher-Langberg said. The graves, which likely date to the late 900s, are of varied size and extravagance. This disparity could indicate a mix of social statuses among the buried, possibly the chieftain's family and their enslaved people, the archaeologists said in the statement. Related: 1,000-year-old Viking Age hoard has a pendant that may be a cross or Thor's hammer The "most exceptional" grave was a woman's casket, Naja Kjærgård Laursen, a spokesperson at Moesgaard Museum, said in an email. The coffin "had the finest fittings, rivets, and an advanced locking mechanism," Reher-Langberg added. Image 1 of 2 Pearls were among the impressive goods found in the Viking Age graves. Image 2 of 2 Researchers used X-ray imaging to see which grave goods were hidden in the newly discovered burial site in Lisbjerg, Denmark. Using X-ray imaging, the team found that the casket contained ornate personal belongings, including jewelry, a needle and an elegant pair of scissors. They found more goods in other graves, as well as the teeth and bones of some of the buried individuals. Preliminary investigations in the area indicated there were traces of the pre-Roman Iron Age (500 to 1 B.C.). But even after finding the chieftain's farm nearby, they didn't have any reason to anticipate the Viking Age graves were there, too. It was "a huge surprise," Reher-Langberg said. "We simply had no expectations of finding graves." Related Stories —50 Viking Age burials discovered in Denmark, including a woman in a rare 'Viking wagon' —Viking Age woman was buried with her dog in an elaborate 'boat grave,' excavations reveal —Oseberg tapestry: Viking Age artwork from a boat burial that may depict the Norse tree of life Now that the excavations are almost complete, the team has sent many of the objects to be analyzed and preserved by the museum's Natural Science and Conservation department, Kjærgård Laursen told Live Science. The human remains, wood and soil from the excavation will also be analyzed. "Hopefully, all this will lead to even more studies" in the area, Reher-Langberg said. These artifacts will go on display at Moesgaard Museum in Denmark this summer.
Miami Herald
a day ago
- Miami Herald
Ancient burial site discovered in Denmark likely belonged to elite Viking family
Archaeologists have uncovered an ancient pagan burial site in eastern Denmark believed to be connected to an elite Viking Age family that lived in the region more than 1,000 years ago. Thirty viking graves and burial gifts dating from the second half of the 900s were unearthed in Lisbjerg, according to a June 17 news release from the Moesgaard Museum. Mads Ravn, head of local heritage at Moesgaard, said the cemetery is likely associated with the estate of a noble family discovered in 1989 just over half a mile away. Based on the grave items discovered at the site, the people buried there could be members of the noble household and possibly even the main family, according to experts. Among the notable finds were coins, ceramic artifacts, beads, and an ornate box filled with gold thread, scissors, and pearls, according to the release. Experts said a casket filled with decorative objects discovered at the site likely belonged to a prominent woman, and noted very few like it have ever been found. The site is just over four miles from Aarhus, which experts describe as one of the oldest and most important Viking towns in Denmark, serving as an international trading hub and home to royalty. Google Translate was used to translate the news release from the Moesgaard Museum.
Kuwait Times
2 days ago
- Science
- Kuwait Times
‘Spectacular' Viking burial site discovered in Denmark
In an accidental find, a 10th-century burial site believed to have belonged to a Viking noble family has been discovered in northern Denmark, packed with a 'spectacular' trove of ancient objects, a museum announced Tuesday. The discovery came when pearls, coins, ceramics and a box containing a gold thread were unearthed during construction work near Lisbjerg, a village located seven kilometers (four miles) north of Aarhus, Denmark's second-largest city. Archaeologists found the site contained around 30 graves dating from the second half of the 10th century, when the famous King Harald Bluetooth reigned, said the Moesgaard Museum in Aarhus. According to the museum's archaeologist Mads Ravn, the graves are most likely linked to a noble family from the Viking Age -- which lasted between the eighth and 11th centuries -- whose farm was discovered less than a kilometer from the burial site in the late 1980s. Conservator Helle Strehle holds a Viking Age silver coin discovered at a Viking Age burial site. An aerial photo shows archaeologists working at a Viking Age burial site in Lisbjerg. Conservator Helle Strehle places a preserved Viking Age casket discovered at Lisbjerg into an x-ray machine at Moesgaard Museum's labs in Aarhus, Denmark. Conservator Helle Strehle points to x-ray images on a computer screen showing a preserved Viking Age casket discovered at a Viking Age burial site. A Moesgaard Museum conservator holds a Viking Age ceramic bowl discovered at a Viking Age burial site. A Moesgaard Museum archaeologist dusts off two coins at a Viking Age burial site. Archaeologists work at a Viking Age burial site in Lisbjerg. 'This could have been one of Harald Bluetooth's earls or stewards,' Ravn told AFP. Ravn noted that the king, who introduced Christianity to what is today Denmark, tasked nobles with managing certain regions. Researchers also discovered some human remains, such as teeth and bones, at the site. 'People basically took what was important to them into the grave because they wanted to transfer it to the other world,' the archaeologist said. One of the graves, which scientists believe belonged to an important woman, contained a box filled with decorative objects and a pair of scissors. The 'magnificent' box is a remarkable find, according to Ravn, with only a few having been discovered before, including one in southeastern Germany. 'It's very rare, there's only three of them we know of,' he said. The excavations at Lisbjerg are due to be completed this week, after which experts will begin a thorough analysis of the objects recovered. Wooden objects in particular should help them accurately date the burial site. As a royal and commercial center, Aarhus was one of Denmark's most important cities during the Viking Age.— AFP
The Independent
2 days ago
- Science
- The Independent
‘Very rare' Viking grave uncovered in Denmark by accident
Archaeologists have found over 30 graves from the Viking era near Aarhus, Denmark, including a 'very rare' coffin of an 'important woman' who lived in the 10th century. Researchers were alerted to the burial site near the town of Lisbjerg, north of Aarhus, after construction work led to the discovery of a trove of artefacts, including pearls, coins, and ceramics. Further excavations revealed that these were gifts deposited in the Viking graves discovered at the site. The graves, considered to be pagan, contained teeth and bones of the dead as well as spectacular objects, like a box with pearls, indicating a connection to the Danish monarchy. 'The burial site is most likely associated with the nobleman's farm in Lisbjerg from the Viking Age, which is located less than a kilometer from the burial site,' archaeologist Mads Ravn from Denmark 's Moesgaard Museum said. 'The objects we have found in the graves tell us that the buried are people of high status. It could be the extended family from the farm itself that is buried here.' The findings point to the Danish town being a seat of power in the 900s during the reign of the famous Viking king Harald Bluetooth, who reigned during this time. 'The finds in Lisbjerg are part of a series of previous fine finds in the Aarhus area," Kasper Andersen, Viking historian from the Moesgaard Museum, said. 'Together, they paint the picture of an aristocratic environment that was linked to royal power, and which was part of the Vikings' vast and dynamic world.' One of the artefacts found at the site is a 'magnificent' wooden coffin, likely made of oak and belonging to an 'important woman' buried with ornaments and personal belongings. The coffin was made with fine rivets on its corners, sides and top as well as a fine locking mechanism, and at least some of these fittings were silver-plated. Inside, archaeologists found a pair of long scissors, a silver bead, a needle, a ribbon with gold thread, and what seemed to be a brooch. 'This could have been one of Harald Bluetooth's earls or stewards," Dr Ravn, a specialist in the Viking Age, told AFP news agency. The museum said in a statement that the coffin was 'one of very few of this type that we know of'. Researchers were hoping to complete the excavation this week and begin a thorough analysis of the recovered artefacts and human remains.
France 24
3 days ago
- Science
- France 24
🌟The Bright Side: Viking burial site discovered by accident in Denmark
A 10th-century burial site believed to have belonged to a Viking noble family has been discovered by accident in northern Denmark, packed with a "spectacular" trove of ancient objects, a museum announced Tuesday. The discovery came when pearls, coins, ceramics and a box containing a gold thread were unearthed during construction work near Lisbjerg, a village located seven kilometres north of Aarhus, Denmark's second-largest city. Archaeologists found the site contained around 30 graves dating from the second half of the 10th century, when the famous King Harald Bluetooth reigned, said the Moesgaard Museum in Aarhus. According to the museum's archaeologist Mads Ravn, the graves are most likely linked to a noble family from the Viking Age – which lasted between the eighth and 11th centuries – whose farm was discovered less than a kilometre from the burial site in the late 1980s. "This could have been one of Harald Bluetooth's earls or stewards," Ravn told AFP. Ravn noted that the king, who introduced Christianity to what is today Denmark, tasked nobles with managing certain regions. Researchers also discovered some human remains, such as teeth and bones, at the site. "People basically took what was important to them into the grave because they wanted to transfer it to the other world," the archaeologist said. One of the graves, which scientists believe belonged to an important woman, contained a box filled with decorative objects and a pair of scissors. The "magnificent" box is a remarkable find, according to Ravn, with only a few having been discovered before, including one in southeastern Germany. "It's very rare, there's only three of them we know of," he said. The excavations at Lisbjerg are due to be completed this week, after which experts will begin a thorough analysis of the objects recovered. Wooden objects in particular should help them accurately date the burial site. As a royal and commercial centre, Aarhus was one of Denmark's most important cities during the Viking Age.
