Tag: archaeology

Study finds that sharks may have been part of Stone Age Norwegian coastal diets

Porbeagle sharks supposedly taste like veal, and were a formidable opponent. Catching one may have conferred high status, according to a researcher.

These mass graves in Northern Norway will now be re-examined

What killed these people? When did they die? Who are they?

Norwegian archaeology find of the year: A 4,000-year-old grave with skeletons

The grave is approximately as old as the pyramids and contained remains of at least five people.

Pigs provided food in the Middle Ages, but men had to watch out for their scrotums

It was quite common to have a pig in your backyard in Europe's medieval towns. But there were fines if it was allowed to roam freely, or if it bit off someone's scrotum while that person was using the outhouse.

Precise dating from Medieval Oslo: This is undoubtedly the King's Wharf

The King’s Wharf, which was excavated in Bjørvika earlier this year, was built with trees felled in 1288.

Medieval Norwegian food was more flavourful than you might think

Exotic spices were first exclusive, then became common — until Norwegians stopped seasoning their food.

This Norwegian-Swedish cannon could be one of the oldest in Europe

The cannon was loaded and ready for battle when it ended up at the bottom of the sea 600 years ago off what was an important medieval Norwegian city.

Melting ice near Norway's highest mountain reveals horse bridle that could stem from the Viking Age

Archaeologists have discovered an ancient bridle and other artifacts from a mountain pass almost 2,000 meters above sea level.

Another gold treasure in Norway: 1400 year old gold foil figures found in pagan temple

A total of 35 gold pieces have now been found by the roadside near the Hov farm in Vingrom. "It doesn't get much more spectacular than this," says archaeologist.

1500-year-old gold treasure discovered by metal detectorist: “This is the gold find of the century in Norway”

Nine gold pendants with rare horse symbols, ten gold beads, and three gold rings from the 6th century were recently discovered by a metal detectorist in Southwestern Norway.

Glacial archaeologist on melting ice in the mountains: "It’s absolutely extreme"

The dramatic backdrop to spectacular archaeological finds in the Norwegian mountains is that the ice is melting, rapidly. This year's glacial archaeological season in the mountains is now underway.

Archaeologists may have found a Viking house the length of almost two tennis courts

This summer's excavation at an ancient royal estate in Norway has uncovered traces of a massive house, an exquisite sword, and many remnants of lavish parties.

Here’s what the archaeologists found in the Viking grave the Heiland-family discovered in their garden

The sword that popped out of the earth in southern Norway may have revealed a double burial. After two days of intense excavations archaeologists have unearthed lots of jewellery, an axe and a shield. And perhaps a frying pan. And a pet rock.

The couple were just extending their house: Found a grave from the Viking Age in their garden

That thing sticking up from the earth, which looked a bit like the blade of a sword, turned out to be exactly that. From the Viking Age.

Medieval gaming piece with runic inscription discovered in Norway

An old sewer pipe needed repair in Trondheim in mid-Norway last year. A last-minute dig to save possible archaeological objects yielded a surprising and rare result: a gaming piece with runes.

7,000-year old fish traps excavated in Norwegian mountain lake – a race against time as the water is coming in

Four Stone Age fish traps were discovered by chance in the Norwegian mountains last summer. Archaeologists are now working against the clock to secure finds before the area is again covered in water.

New studies are upending our ideas about Viking shields

The shields from the Gokstad Viking ship were not only made for burial rituals and as decorations. Evidence indicates that they were used in battle, according to a Danish archaeologist.

Archaeologists had to destroy nearly all of the medieval ‘King’s Wharf’ soon after they excavated it.

Remains of a massive foundation for a wharf were recently uncovered during excavations in Bjørvika, east of Oslo’s centre. It might have been the King's Wharf during medieval times. But no sooner had the wharf been found than it was gone again.

Here's what archaeologists found under the floor of the 12th century Stavanger Cathedral

Crawling around here in pitch darkness in 1967, an architect bumped into bones and skeletons.

New video footage shows what could be the oldest known shipwreck at the bottom of Norway's largest lake

The researchers managed to catch a glimpse of the wreck before the underwater robot ran out of power.

This brooch became high fashion during the late Viking and Middle Age

The number of Urnes style brooches found in Norway have more than doubled in the past decade, most likely due to an increase of metal detectorists.

New discovery of a Viking ship in Norway

A 20-metre-long Viking ship has been discovered using georadar on a mound previously believed to be empty. “This is a spectacular find which sheds light on the earliest Viking kings”, says archaeologist Håkon Reiersen.

This is what a Norwegian boy looked like 8,000 years ago

The Stone Age boy has now been reconstructed using DNA analysis and modern forensic techniques.

A gold coin that changes history: Oldest known reference to the Norse god Odin found in Denmark

Norwegian and Danish researchers have found the god Odin's name on a gold coin from the beginning of the 5th century. Norse mythology must therefore be dated 150 years earlier than before.

Vikings tagged the great lion in Venice with runes

Hundreds or thousands of Norwegian and Swedish Vikings went to the Mediterranean for ‘summer jobs’ as mercenaries. They left behind graffiti.

Archaeologists surprised when 3,500 year old arrowheads made of shells melted out of the ice in the Norwegian mountains

Unique arrowheads made of freshwater pearl mussel have melted out of the ice in the mountains in Jotunheimen in Norway. Arrowheads like this have not been found anywhere else in the world, according to archaeologist.

The building of a new Museum of the Viking Age in Oslo has officially begun

Ola Borten Moe, Minister of Research and Higher Education in Norway, did the honours of putting the first shovel – or rather excavator – in the ground.

The Vikings likely brought horses and dogs with them on their voyages to England

“Very nice to get some archaeological flesh on that bone,” says Professor Jan Bill.

The world's oldest rune stone was found sticking out of the ground. Here’s how researchers figured out how old it is

The stone could be up to 2,000 years old — and we know that because of a cremation.

World’s oldest rune stone found in Norway, archaeologists believe

The find was kept secret by researchers for more than a year.

The inner parts of the Oslofjord contains some of the most exciting traces of Stone Age people in Europe

Archaeologists are now seeing how a landscape of fjords, straits and islands attracted people in the Stone Age. Few other places in Europe lend themselves as well to studying the lives and disappearances of the Stone Age people.

Now we know who the Vikings had children with

DNA evidence from Norway points above all to Britain and Ireland rather than people from the north-east. But a lot of this hereditary material has mysteriously almost disappeared after the Viking Age.

40-tonne steel rigs will protect the Viking ships during the building of a new Viking Age museum in Oslo

The Viking ships have remained in the same place since they were first put on display. Now they are being moved, with comprehensive security measures in place to ensure they are not damaged.

Here’s what Norwegian archaeologists discovered in 2022

5,000-year-old rock art. The remains of a 1,600-year-old house. A shipwreck at the bottom of a lake. A Viking grave, a Viking sword and a Viking silver treasure. These are among the top finds from Norway in the year gone by.

Viking grave discovered in the middle of Norway's capital Oslo

A grave with the remains of a shield and a cape buckle were uncovered during the construction of a new house this autumn. It is the first Viking grave rich in artefacts that archaeologists have excavated in Oslo.

The plan was to renovate a laundry room. But then bones from a 12 000 year old polar bear showed up

This is the story of how the best-preserved Ice Age polar bear in the world ended up at the Museum of Archaeology in Stavanger in the 1980s. Norway's first Stone Age people may have lived alongside this polar bear.

Shipwreck discovered at the bottom of Norway’s largest lake – possibly 700 years old

Marine archaeologists believe the ship dates to sometime between 1300 – 1850. It was found at the bottom of the lake Mjøsa, at 410 metres.

Meet Tora, 65 years old. She lived during the Middle Ages

Researchers have created a model of a medieval woman from Trondheim in Norway, based on analysis of her bones.

Ötzi-museum does not believe there are so many more ice mummies out there

What happens to artifacts in ice patches in the Norwegian mountains is not necessarily transferable to the Alps and the Ötzi-find-site, according to Andreas Putzer from the South Tyrol Museum of Archaeology.

A ski from the Viking Age melted out of the ice in 2014. A few years later the second ski in the pair appeared

The skis are the best-preserved pair from prehistoric times in the world. But who was trying to cross a mountain pass during winter in the 8th century, and why did they lose their skis? More clues may yet melt out of the ice to tell the story.

New research on 5300-year-old Ötzi suggests there could be more ice mummies out there

The 31-year-old find of the ice man from the Alps, has been studied again. While Ötzi is unique, the conditions that preserved his body are not, say the researchers.

One Viking’s lost silver treasure discovered by metal detector enthusiast

46 pieces of silver from the Viking age were recently discovered in a field in mid-Norway. “It’s an exceptional find,” says archaeologist.

How do you build a Viking ship? These woodworkers are joined by researchers on their third Viking ship project

The prow of a Viking ship rises over Vikingodden in Tønsberg, Norway. The ‘Gokstad ship’ is being rebuilt.

7,000 year old fish traps discovered in the Norwegian mountains

Stone Age folks in the Norwegian mountains didn’t just hunt reindeer. A unique find from this summer reveals that they had also developed extensive fish traps in the lakes.

Every Viking owned a stone like this - and they traded massive quantities of them too

Whetstones are one of the most common finds from the Viking Age. What looks like a simple stone however, tells the tale of extensive trading systems - and perhaps even the reason for why the Vikings started raiding overseas.

Developing a robotic georadar to make archaeological surveys easier

Surveys using ground-penetrating radar have helped archaeologists in Norway discover among other things a Viking ship and a Viking longhouse. An automated version now promises to make these surveys even more efficient.

Found a Viking sword in the backyard

It wasn't a couple of pieces of an old rusty plow. It was a Viking sword.

The last person who touched this three-bladed arrowhead was a Viking

“We have never found an arrowhead like this before”, the glacial archaeologists from Secrets of the Ice in Norway recently reported on their Facebook-page.

New Viking Age jewellery find delivered to archaeological museum on a platter

The typical Viking Age women’s jewellery had been collecting dust in somebody’s living room for decades. Until last week, when it was all of a sudden delivered by an anonymous source at the Museum of Archaeology in Stavanger.

This gold ring once belonged to a powerful Viking Chief. It was found in a pile of cheap jewellery auctioned off online

The heavy, shiny gold ring stood out. And no wonder. It once belonged to a powerful Viking chief.

One of the most famous acts of sabotage during WWII happened in the basement of this building. Now it's open to the public

On a mission to prevent Hitler from developing a nuclear bomb, a group of brave soldiers made their way into the basement where heavy water was being produced. That very basement was rediscovered a few years ago.

Tag: archaeology

Study finds that sharks may have been part of Stone Age Norwegian coastal diets

These mass graves in Northern Norway will now be re-examined

Norwegian archaeology find of the year: A 4,000-year-old grave with skeletons

Pigs provided food in the Middle Ages, but men had to watch out for their scrotums

Precise dating from Medieval Oslo: This is undoubtedly the King's Wharf

Medieval Norwegian food was more flavourful than you might think

This Norwegian-Swedish cannon could be one of the oldest in Europe

Melting ice near Norway's highest mountain reveals horse bridle that could stem from the Viking Age

Another gold treasure in Norway: 1400 year old gold foil figures found in pagan temple

1500-year-old gold treasure discovered by metal detectorist: “This is the gold find of the century in Norway”

Glacial archaeologist on melting ice in the mountains: "It’s absolutely extreme"

Archaeologists may have found a Viking house the length of almost two tennis courts

Here’s what the archaeologists found in the Viking grave the Heiland-family discovered in their garden

The couple were just extending their house: Found a grave from the Viking Age in their garden

Medieval gaming piece with runic inscription discovered in Norway

7,000-year old fish traps excavated in Norwegian mountain lake – a race against time as the water is coming in

New studies are upending our ideas about Viking shields

Archaeologists had to destroy nearly all of the medieval ‘King’s Wharf’ soon after they excavated it.

Here's what archaeologists found under the floor of the 12th century Stavanger Cathedral

New video footage shows what could be the oldest known shipwreck at the bottom of Norway's largest lake

This brooch became high fashion during the late Viking and Middle Age

New discovery of a Viking ship in Norway

This is what a Norwegian boy looked like 8,000 years ago

A gold coin that changes history: Oldest known reference to the Norse god Odin found in Denmark

Vikings tagged the great lion in Venice with runes

Archaeologists surprised when 3,500 year old arrowheads made of shells melted out of the ice in the Norwegian mountains

The building of a new Museum of the Viking Age in Oslo has officially begun

The Vikings likely brought horses and dogs with them on their voyages to England

The world's oldest rune stone was found sticking out of the ground. Here’s how researchers figured out how old it is

World’s oldest rune stone found in Norway, archaeologists believe

The inner parts of the Oslofjord contains some of the most exciting traces of Stone Age people in Europe

Now we know who the Vikings had children with

40-tonne steel rigs will protect the Viking ships during the building of a new Viking Age museum in Oslo

Here’s what Norwegian archaeologists discovered in 2022

Viking grave discovered in the middle of Norway's capital Oslo

The plan was to renovate a laundry room. But then bones from a 12 000 year old polar bear showed up

Shipwreck discovered at the bottom of Norway’s largest lake – possibly 700 years old

Meet Tora, 65 years old. She lived during the Middle Ages

Ötzi-museum does not believe there are so many more ice mummies out there

A ski from the Viking Age melted out of the ice in 2014. A few years later the second ski in the pair appeared

New research on 5300-year-old Ötzi suggests there could be more ice mummies out there

One Viking’s lost silver treasure discovered by metal detector enthusiast

How do you build a Viking ship? These woodworkers are joined by researchers on their third Viking ship project

7,000 year old fish traps discovered in the Norwegian mountains

Every Viking owned a stone like this - and they traded massive quantities of them too

Developing a robotic georadar to make archaeological surveys easier

Found a Viking sword in the backyard

The last person who touched this three-bladed arrowhead was a Viking

New Viking Age jewellery find delivered to archaeological museum on a platter

This gold ring once belonged to a powerful Viking Chief. It was found in a pile of cheap jewellery auctioned off online

One of the most famous acts of sabotage during WWII happened in the basement of this building. Now it's open to the public

Monks had to remain silent whilst they ate, so they invented a sign language

Why did somebody build a ceramics factory on this remote island 2000 years ago?

University rector says Viking ships may collapse in 5 or 50 years if new museum is delayed

Who painted pictures like this on rock walls in Norway 5000-8000 years ago?

Researchers have started a petition to save the Norwegian Viking ships

New report: Budget cuts put 1200 year old Viking ships at risk of being destroyed

Medieval excavation greatest hits: 800 years ago a fashion queen strolled the streets of Oslo in this elegant shoe

Unique sword from the Viking Age found in Stavanger

Here’s why Rattus norvegicus has taken over Europe

The blade of this knife is from space

The Viking Ships can’t wait

The planned new Viking Age Museum in Oslo told to cut a billion NOK

Mysterious medieval moat found in the middle of Oslo: "Could suggest a desperate need for defense"

Why was this flimsy Roman-looking sandal buried beneath the snow in an ancient, dangerous Norwegian mountain pass?

A reindeer hunter lost this knife in the Norwegian mountains 1500 years ago

The Norwegian medieval kings were known to give the best gifts: Falcons

Gaming-pieces and a gaming board found in the Medieval Park in Oslo

Ancient remains from reindeer hunting and a forgotten trail in the Norwegian mountains found by glacial archaeologists

New runic find from medieval Oslo – this time it’s a name tag

What is the rose from the Selbu mitten doing in the remains of a medieval cathedral in Sudan?

Did this Viking helmet belong to a Norwegian warrior who served rulers in the East?

A bone and a stick inscribed with Norse runic text found in Oslo

Knife handle in the shape of a king from the 13th century found in the Medieval Park in Oslo

The 12 most exciting finds from the Gjellestad Viking ship dig

Huge longhouse found near the Gjellestad Viking ship – one of the largest in Scandinavia

This piece of wood will help archaeologists reconstruct the grand Gjellestad Viking ship

The amazing discovery of a lost Viking settlement