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Excavation underway: Believed to be an important Viking clue
The remains of a large possible Viking settlement in Ireland are set to be investigated.
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"If it's a longhouse, then it's the largest known Viking longhouse in Ireland," researcher and archaeologist Håkon Reiersen tells Science Norway.
Reiersen works at the University of Stavanger. He is currently in Ireland to take part in the excavation of a large Viking settlement known as Woodstown. Norwegian and Irish archaeologists are now preparing to investigate the settlement more closely.
One of the main objectives is to excavate and study the possible longhouse, Reiersen explains.
"We hope to find structures and artefacts within the building. It may have served a special purpose," he says.
Reiersen says it would be extremely exciting to find something that clearly links the settlement to Norwegian Vikings.
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Near Ireland's oldest city
The settlement lies by the River Suir in southern Ireland. Close by is Waterford, often referred to as Ireland’s oldest city. It was founded by Vikings in 914.
Many Vikings travelled to Ireland. Some settled there, festablished communities, and eventually became part of the local population. A DNA study from 2020 suggests that many of them may have come from Norway.
And until just over 20 years ago, no one knew there might be another large settlement near Waterford.
Viking sword previously discovered
The settlement was discovered in 2003, and smaller excavations have been carried out since then. Dating has shown that it's from the Viking Age, and both a Viking sword and other weapons have been found there.
But more recent investigations using ground-penetrating radarhave revealed that there may be many more buildings at the site than previously believed, according to this research article from 2025.
When archaeologists first became aware of the Woodstown settlement, they assumed it was much smaller, Reiersen explains. It now appears likely that the site is considerably larger.
"We're now going in to test the geophysical data to see whether these are houses and other structures," he says.
More than 60 structures were identified. Some may be longhouses, pit houses, fences, embankments, or other man-made constructions.
Trading place?
Exactly what type of settlement this was is unclear. It has previously been interpreted as a seasonal settlement used for overwintering rather than year-round occupation. It may have been used as a trading and market place.
Many artefacts have been found at the site, including weighing weights.
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Archaeologists have also uncovered more such weights during the newly launched excavation, says Reiersen.
These are common finds at Viking trading sites because they were used to weigh silver used for payment. Much of this silver arived in the form of Islamic silver coins that flowed into this part of the world during the Viking Age. Read more about this on Science Norway.
Viking grave found at the site
Reiersen believes the settlement was likely an important one. In addition to the many artefacts recovered, archaeologists have discovered a richly furnished Viking grave.
The body had decomposed, but the team found a sword, shield, knife, and whetstone among the grave goods.
It is described as one of the most richly furnished Viking graves discovered in Ireland, according to Woodstown's website.
"If this site also contains the largest Viking longhouse known in Ireland, it would underline just how significant the settlement may have been and how much effort was invested into it," he says.
He explains that the suspected building is located in a central position within the settlement, right next to an enclosured area.
"I would assume it was an important building, if it is indeed a building," he says.
They will now look for postholes, remains of hearths, and artefacts that could indicate the structure was a longhouse.
Reiersen believes this could help determine whether the site was a more permanent settlement.
At some point, the settlement was abandoned. Since the city of Waterford is nearby, it's possible that this was an earlier location of the city before it was moved.
Results from the excavations are expected sometime after the summer.
The excavation is a collaboration between Norwegian and Irish archaeologists and is funded by the Royal Irish Academy.
Different ground conditions
"We're excited to see what turns up," Christer Tonning tells Science Norway.
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He is an archaeologist at Vestfold County Municipality. He also took part in the ground-penetrating radar surveys but is not involved in the current excavation.
He explains that the team was searching for additional house structures or graves connected to the Viking Age settlement. This is described in the 2025 research article.
Ground-penetrating radar is a technique that sends radio waves into the ground, which are then reflected back. An antenna picks up the returning signals, allowing archaeologists to detect structures such as buildings, graves, ditches, and other man-made structures.
This method is being used more and more in archaeology, and played a key role in mapping the Gjellestad ship burial. It allows researchers to look for traces without having to dig.
Tonning was among those who helped reveal that there are far more buildings at the site than previously assumed.
"The ground conditions are different from those in Norway, so it was difficult to see the structures. We really had to dig deeply into the datasets," he says.
Tonning says he expected that there to be a number of structures at the site, something the ground-penetrating radar helped uncover.
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Translated by Alette Bjordal Gjellesvik
Read the Norwegian version of this article on forskning.no
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