In Denmark, archaeologists have unearthed 50 “extremely well-preserved” Viking skeletons along with five cremated graves at the Odense Museum west of Copenhagen.
“It is truly unusual to find so many well-preserved human bones at once, such as those found at Ausum,” museum curator Michael Bohle Lund said in a statement.
“This discovery provides an excellent opportunity to carry out a wide range of scientific analyses, which can reveal more about the general health, diet and origins of those buried. It could even reveal whether there was a kinship with the Vikings, which is particularly important as no similar grave has ever been investigated before.
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The museum said the bones were discovered in the past six months in the village of Åsum, near Odense, Denmark, and were buried with artifacts from abroad, proving they had traveled abroad for trade. That's what it means.
In Denmark, archaeologists have unearthed 50 “extremely well-preserved” Viking skeletons along with five cremated graves at the Odense Museum west of Copenhagen. (Reuters/Tom Little)
“Because the Ausum tomb is so well preserved, it may be possible for the first time to perform special aDNA analysis of most human bones, that is, DNA analysis of ancient material,” said Dr. said Dr. Sarah Croix. PhD in Archeology and Heritage Studies at Aarhus University said in a statement.
“It will be very interesting to find out where these people came from and whether the same family was buried here for generations.”
Lund said high water levels and good soil conditions prevented the skeleton from decomposing.
A restorer at the Odense Museum displays a brooch found in a Viking-era burial ground. (Reuters/Tom Little)
“Usually when you excavate a Viking grave, you're lucky if you find two teeth in addition to the grave goods,” he explained. “But here we have a perfectly preserved skeleton. The skeleton is very impressive. It's well preserved and has five fingers and toes. This opens up a whole new range of discoveries.”
Some of the skeletons were buried with items such as knives, brooches, glass pearls, and even wagons.
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”The woman was probably buried in the wagon she was in,” Lund said.
“We must imagine that she was buried with her finest clothes and belongings: a beautiful necklace of glass beads, an iron key, a knife with a handle of silver thread; Most notably, he was given a small piece of glass. At the foot of the carriage was a finely decorated wooden box that was used as a talisman, but its contents are still unknown. yeah.”
On September 25, 2024, a drone footage of archaeologists excavating a Viking-era burial ground discovered in the Danish village of Aasum. (Reuters/Tom Little)
Another grave next to the woman contained a bronze trefoil brooch, red glass, an iron knife and a small piece of crystal, which Lund pointed out were not natural to Denmark. He said it was probably imported from Norway.
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“Some of the items excavated from the many graves at Åsum indicate that the Vikings buried there were connected to the international trade networks that developed during the Viking Age,” he said.
Archaeologists unearth human bones from a pit in a Viking-era burial ground in the village of Aasum, Denmark. (Reuters/Tom Little)
The excavation was done in preparation for power grid upgrades.
The museum said the graves belonged to high-status individuals, but the majority of the skeletons belonged to peasant communities.
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The burial site is located on an area of approximately 2,000 square meters east of Odense and is thought to date from the 9th to 10th century.
Reuters contributed to this report.
