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Surprise grave find reveals secrets of Viking king
The burial site was found after construction work uncovered artefacts like pearls, coins, and ceramics, indicating gifts in Viking graves.
Grave findings, including a box with pearls, suggest a connection to the Danish monarchy and high-status individuals, possibly related to a nearby nobleman's farm.
The discoveries indicate that the Danish town was a seat of power in the 900s during the reign of Viking king Harald Bluetooth.
A magnificent wooden coffin, likely belonging to an important woman, contained items like scissors, a silver bead, and gold thread, suggesting she may have been one of Harald Bluetooth's earls or stewards.
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The Independent
5 hours ago
- The Independent
Newly discovered settlement could unlock secrets of Roman conquest
Archaeologists have unearthed what could be a significant Iron Age Roman settlement, potentially including a Roman villa, following the discovery of rare cavalry swords in the Cotswolds. The excavation near a Cotswolds village was prompted by the find of two iron Roman cavalry swords, possibly still bearing traces of their scabbards, two years ago. Metal detectorist Glenn Manning discovered the rare artefacts during a rally near Willersey. They were subsequently donated to the Corinium Museum in Cirencester, Gloucestershire. 'Finding two swords in the same spot was amazing,' Mr Manning said. 'The morning before the rally, I had a feeling I would find something special. 'This was only my second time metal detecting. I'm excited to find out more about them.' Following this discovery, Historic England conducted geophysical surveys of the area where the swords were found, which revealed the possibility of extensive prehistoric and Romano-British remains. Excavations earlier this year found evidence of settlements spanning several centuries. These include three or four Iron Age ring ditches, a substantial rectangular enclosure, and remains of Roman limestone buildings, which could be a winged villa. More archaeological work is required, and Historic England could then recommend to the Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) that the site be protected as a scheduled monument. It is believed the long swords or 'spatha' were used by the Romans on horseback from early in the second century AD through to the third century AD. They are contemporary with the villa, but it is not known how they came to be there. Ian Barnes, senior archaeologist at Historic England, said: 'This excavation provides valuable insights into the nature of settlement patterns from the Early Iron Age through to the Roman period in Gloucestershire. 'This new evidence will help us to understand more about what happened around the period of the Roman Conquest, which must have been a tumultuous time.' Peter Busby, from Cotswold Archaeology, said: 'I am very proud of how much our team of volunteers, professional archaeologists, and metal detectorists achieved in 15 days, despite the heavy January rain. 'We turned a ploughed field, the swords, and geophysical anomalies into the story of a settlement spanning hundreds of years – the first stage in telling the history of these fields and their cavalry swords.' Emma Stuart, director of the Corinium Museum, added: 'It's a privilege to acquire such rare artefacts. 'This valuable addition of Roman weaponry at the museum broadens the story of life in the Cotswolds during the mid to late Roman period. 'Wiltshire Conservation has identified the scabbard remnants and this adds another dimension to this discovery.'
The Independent
18 hours ago
- The Independent
Mystery over ‘unusually large' Roman shoes unearthed in Northumberland
Archaeologists were left baffled after unearthing 'unusually large' 2,000-year-old Roman shoes in Northumberland. Eight shoes at least 30cm (11.8in) long - the equivalent of a UK size 13 to 14 - were discovered at Magna Roman Fort earlier this year. Archaeologist Rachel Frame said the leather shoes had all been found in a defensive ditch, which the Romans also used as rubbish dumps. 'We have to assume it's something to do with the people living here, having bigger feet, being potentially taller but we don't know,' she told the BBC. 'Are the people living there from a specific region? Could that be why their shoes are so much larger? But at the moment, it's sort of, well, this is unusual.' Due to low oxygen conditions in the soil at the sites, the leather shoes have been preserved for centuries, according to Dr Frame. Dr Elizabeth Greene, associate professor at the University of Western Ontario and Vindolanda's shoe specialist, has seen and measured every shoe found at the site. She said: 'I think there is something very different going on here at Magna. Even from this small sample uncovered, it is clear that these shoes are much larger on average than most.' Last year, a section of one of Britain's most important Roman roads was unearthed in south-east London in a 'remarkable' archaeological discovery. The 2,000-year-old road, known as Watling Street, ran from the Roman port at Dover through London to the West Midlands. The 276-mile route was built shortly after the Roman invasion of Britain in AD 43 and was used by visiting emperors, including Hadrian in AD 122 when he ordered the building of his wall separating England and Scotland. Archaeologist Gillian King said the discovery had redrawn the Roman road map in the capital. She added: 'It is a key finding for archaeological research for London.' The section of road revealed lies to the south of the junction of Old Kent Road and Ilderton Road and was well-preserved, measuring about 19ft (5.8m) wide by almost 5ft (1.4m) high. Southwark Council said distinct layers could be seen, and showed a solid foundation of compacted gravel sealed by two layers of chalk, before it was topped with another layer of compacted sand and gravel. It added that the original surface of the road would likely have been made from the same material and would have sat at a similar level to the modern road, but over time, this had been lost. The London portion of Watling Street was rediscovered during Christopher Wren's rebuilding of St Mary-le-Bow in 1671 to 1673, following the Great Fire of London in 1666.
BBC News
a day ago
- BBC News
Dorset Museum fundraises for 3,000-year-old blobs of gold
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