‘Very rare' Viking grave uncovered in Denmark by accident
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.
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