The discover includes 2 oval bronze brooches with residues of silver plating, an equal-armed brooch, a big beaded piece of fashion jewelry with, among other things, silver and gold-foiled beads and a bronze bracelet. Image credits: Museum of Archaeology, University of Stavanger.
When archaeologist Kristine Orestad Sørgaard in Oslo received a contribution of what appeared to be medieval precious jewelry, she nearly couldnt believe her eyes. She hardly needed a review to understand what it was: normal Viking dress accessories, delivered straight to her door, without even needing to dig.
” We often get finds from personal people, but never a discover of this size. This is really a spectacular find and even one we rarely come across on our own excavations”, she says.
Viking jewels
Sørgaard hardly needed to cast a glance at the jewellery to date them:
This mosaic bead dates the find to about 850. Image credits: Museum of Archaeology, University of Stavanger.
” The Frafjord woman belonged to the upper strata of society due to the fact that not everybody was fortunate sufficient to wear such fashion jewelry. The jewelry showed not just what status she had in this life, but also what social position she should take in life after death, and were hence important social markers, not only in the world but likewise in the hereafter”, Kristine Orestad Sørgaard discusses.
The brooches would have held up a dress and are fairly particular in femaless tombs from the Viking Age. In particular, one mosaic bead dates from around 850, which assisted archaeologists be more specific about dating the whole selection of jewelry.
This is how the Frafjord female would have used the jewellery. The oval brooches held the apron gown up and were used in pairs with a third brooch which held a shawl or cape together. The beads hung like a chain between the two oval brooches. Image credits: Museum of Archaeology, University of Stavanger.
The village has around 100 occupants now, however it might have been a lot more crucial a couple of centuries ago. In truth, it was most likely important before the Viking Age.
The beads consist of silver- and gold-foiled beads, which mimicked solid silver and gold– a kind of gem that was very popular in Viking times. Oval or tortoise brooches are often found in Viking burials, and they also offer a sign of the persons hierarchical status. In Viking society, women would have had the ability to be a part of all social layers. One popular Viking burial (the Oseberg ship burial) was ornate and so rich that archaeologists initially thought it should have belonged to a guy– until they found the remains of 2 females on board. More current research shows that Viking society used significant social movement for women.
The website where the findings come from is likewise interesting: on the southwest coast of Norway, in a county called Rogaland, a town called Frafjord.
The varied fashion jewelry hints at prospering international contacts. The lady would have been in contact with individuals far away and likely was part of a group that was associated with trade (or ransacking). Oval brooches of this sort were mass-produced in another part of Norway, while several of the beads might have in fact originated from the Mediterranean or the Middle east.
” A lot of items have actually been discovered in Frafjord and in the southern parts of Ryfylke from the periods before the Viking Age, but extremely little bit from the Viking Age itself. Obtaining such a piece in the history of the area is for that reason extremely important”, states archaeologist Barbro Dahl, who has performed many historical examinations in the area
” This find is common of the Viking Age. Both the oval brooches with silver plating, the equal-armed brooch and the two bracelets are typical of the duration. In addition, the lady had brought with her a string of beads with over 50 beads”, she states.
A historical puzzle
This puzzled archaeologists at the time, since based on other comparable findings, there truly ought to have been some precious jewelry.
“It is regrettable that we have actually lost this knowledge and that specialists did not have the chance to investigate the site when the discovery was made, because we have therefore lost a great deal of essential details. Info about the most remarkable of the beads the female brought with her: Three beads of blue glass”, states Kristine Orestad Sørgaard.
“It is tempting to conclude that this is in fact the missing jewellery”, Kristine Orestad Sørgaard states.
The three blue glass beads of the Frafjord woman are from the early Iron Age and therefore several a century older than the other beads. Image credits: Museum of Archaeology, University of Stavanger.
The precious jewelry might assist solve a decade-old puzzle. In 1955, Norwegian archaeologists excavated a Viking Age boat tomb because exact same spot, discovering a boat of over 7 meters long and remains from a woman that was buried with an axe, a shield, scriss, and a weaving sword– however no gems.
“Either this is heirloom, or the find is blended with another find from another, much older tomb. We will never ever know”, states Kristine Orestad Sørgaard, who stresses that this is the factor why it is so important that private finds are reported as soon as possible.
” This find is typical of the Viking Age. The beads consist of silver- and gold-foiled beads, which mimicked strong silver and gold– a type of jewel that was extremely popular in Viking times. Oval or tortoise brooches are frequently found in Viking burials, and they likewise use an indicator of the individuals hierarchical status. In Viking society, females would have been able to be a part of all social layers. One famous Viking burial (the Oseberg ship burial) was ornate and so rich that archaeologists initially believed it must have belonged to a guy– till they discovered the remains of 2 females on board.
The donor doesnt know where the gems came from. It gets even weirder: the donor also brought 3 glass beads which are a couple of hundred years older than the rest of the artifacts.
“Such discovers represent Norways cultural heritage and are pieces in the puzzle of our historic past. We truly appreciate this shipment”, states Kristine Orestad Sørgaard.