-
Viking Gold Pendant Found in Norfolk Linked to the Great Heathen Army
A thin disc of gold, buried for more than a thousand years in a Norfolk field, is now being linked to the advance of the Great Heathen Army — the Scandinavian force that reshaped early medieval England after landing in AD 865. Discovered near Dereham in 2024, the object is an imitation of a gold…
-
Viking Sea Power May Have Emerged in the Roman Era — Not the 8th Century
The Viking Age is traditionally dated to AD 793, when Scandinavian raiders attacked Lindisfarne. But new archaeological interpretations suggest that the foundations of Viking-style sea power may reach back to the Roman Iron Age — between AD 180 and 540. In reporting highlighted by Science Norway, archaeologist Frans-Arne Stylegar argues that organized naval infrastructure existed…
-
A “Buddha” in a Viking Grave: The 1,000-Year-Old Bucket That Traveled Across Cultures
When archaeologists uncovered the Oseberg ship burial in 1904, most of what they found had already been crushed by time. Wood splintered. Stone collapsed inward. Objects meant for eternity were flattened under a millennium of pressure. One item, however, refused to disappear. A wooden bucket—slightly warped, yet astonishingly intact—emerged from the grave almost whole. Attached…
-
The Viking Age Legend Comes to Life: Original Serpent Head of the Oseberg Ship Displayed for the First Time
In Oslo, Norway, one of the most significant artifacts from the Viking Age—the original serpent head from the Oseberg Ship—is being unveiled to the public for the first time since its discovery in 1904. Carved over a thousand years ago, this delicate wooden figure was deemed too fragile to display during the ship’s excavation. Until…
-
Pregnancy in the Viking Age: Warrior Women, Unborn Children, and the Silences of History
A groundbreaking study conducted by Viking specialists from the University of Nottingham and the University of Leicester is shedding new light on the experience of pregnancy during the Viking Age—offering fresh perspectives on gender, embodiment, and social norms in a society often viewed through the lens of warfare and conquest. The First Academic Focus on…