The excavation at Asum suggests that the Vikings were not necessarily warriors. Bole Lund speculates that the site could have been a “standard settlement” like an agricultural community, situated approximately five miles away from the modern-day ring fortress in central Odense.
The cemetery, spanning 21,500 square feet, contains the remains of men, women, and children, along with both ashes and cremated bodies.
One notable grave contained the burial of a woman in a horse-drawn carriage, using the top of a Viking cart as a coffin, indicating her high social status, as mentioned by Borre Lund to the Associated Press.
Excavators also unearthed various artifacts like brooches, necklace beads, knives, and small glass shards possibly used as amulets.
According to Bole Lund, the design of the brooch suggests the burial took place between 850 and 900 AD.
The artifacts found indicate extensive Viking trade routes, reaching beyond Denmark’s borders in the 10th century.
“There was significant trade and commerce happening,” Bole Lund noted. “We found a brooch from Gotland island, east of Sweden, as well as a whetstone for knife sharpening. Everything points to connections with Norway and Sweden.”
The burial site was unearthed last year, and the excavation ended in April. The artifacts were sent to the Odense Museum’s conservation laboratory for cleaning and analysis.
Conservator Janie Amsgaard Ebsen hopes to discover organic matter preserved on the backs of brooches and knife handles in the soil.
“We aim to piece together the full picture of the people who lived there and their interactions,” she said. “It’s like solving a jigsaw puzzle; putting all the different pieces together.”
Source: www.nbcnews.com
