Archaeologists have unearthed 50 “very, very well preserved” skeletons from a cemetery in central Denmark. The remains are dated to 850-900 AD, i.e. the Viking Age. Their discovery is described as “groundbreaking” and “exciting”. It can provide a lot of valuable information about the northern peoples.
50 skeletons in very good condition were excavated from the cemetery in Åsum, near the city of Odense in central Denmark. They belong to men, women and children. According to archaeologists, the remains were buried between 850 and 900 AD. In addition, experts found brooches, necklaces and knives at the site. They describe these discoveries as “groundbreaking” and “exciting.”
– Normally we are lucky to find a few teeth in a grave, but here we have whole skeletons – said Michael Borre Lundø, an archaeologist who led the excavations in Åsum, quoted by NBC News. For scientists, it is also important that the remains are “very, very well preserved.” “This opens up a whole new set of tools for scientific discovery,” Lundø said. According to the Dane's announcement, all skeletons are to be subjected to detailed tests, including DNA analysis.
Archaeologists excavated 50 skeletons from the Viking Age
The people whose remains were found in Åsum were most likely not warriors. According to Lundø, they most likely lived in a “typical settlement”, probably a farming community. -Who were the people who lived there? Who did they interact with? We hope that we will be able to obtain a broader picture – said Jannie Amsgaard Ebsen, a participant of the excavations. The woman compared archaeological work to a puzzle whose elements are discovered one by one.
Archaeologists discovered 50 Viking skeletonsTom Little / Reuters / Forum
“We hope to be able to conduct a DNA analysis of all the skeletons and see if they are related and even where they come from,” Lundø said. As archaeologists point out, many of the items they found in the cemetery come from places far away from Åsum. This, they believe, sheds light on how extensive the Viking trade routes were in the 10th century.
The cemetery in Åsum was discovered last year during routine work preceding the renovation of a power line. Archaeologists began working on the site in April. The excavations were completed last Friday.
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Main photo source: Tom Little / Reuters / Forum