Archaeologists Discover 50 Skeletons From Viking Age In Denmark

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The discovery of any human remains from the Viking age (AD 793 to 1066) is rare.

The archaeologists have discovered an extraordinary Viking burial ground with the skeletons of roughly 50 people. This burial ground was unearthed in Denmark during preparations for installing electrical cables. According to Britannica, the Vikings were raiders, pirates, traders, explorers, and colonisers. According to a statement issued by the Museum Odense, these skeletons were discovered near the Åsum village on Funen island over the past six months by archaeologists from Museum Odense. The discovery of any human remains from the Viking age (AD 793 to 1066) is rare, in part. It is because the Scandinavian soils are acidic and don’t preserve bones well. Finding 50 burials from this time is an exceptional case.

Michael Borre Lundo, an archaeologist who worked on the discovery and a Museum Odense curator, also issued a statement. According to Lundo, “It is really unusual to find so many well-preserved skeletons at the same time as those found in Åsum.” Lundo added that this discovery offers extraordinary opportunities to perform a wide range of scientific analyses. He said that this can reveal more about the general health, diet, and origins of those buried. According to Lundo, the analyses might also reveal whether the buried Vikings were related. This would be particularly significant, as it has never been examined in similar graves.

Viking graves

The Viking Age graves near Asum date to the 900s. It is perhaps when the Danish king Gorm “the Old” and queen Thyra ruled from the nearby Jutland town of Jelling. Historians disagree on the region where Gorm ruled. It is generally accepted that the central island of Funen was part of his kingdom. According to the archaeologists, the new research shows the importance of the region at the time. Gorm and Thyra were the parents of King Harald Bluetooth. Bluetooth became king after Gorm died in around 958, and for whom the wireless networking standard is named. He is claimed to have converted the Denmark people to Christianity. However, the Old Norse gods — such as Thor, Odin and Freyr were worshipped in the Viking kingdom ruled by Gorm and Thyra.