What archaeologists learn from the discovery of 50 extremely rare Viking skulls

The discovery of 50 “exceptionally well-preserved” skeletons in a village in central Denmark could hold important clues to the Viking Age.

Archaeologists made the groundbreaking discovery, which included a burial site and the skeletons.

Experts want to conduct DNA analysis and potentially reconstruct detailed life histories, as well as examine social patterns in the Viking Age such as kinship, migration patterns and more.

“This is such an exciting find because we found these skeletons that are so very, very well preserved,” said archaeologist Michael Borre Lundø, who led the six-month excavation. “Normally we would be lucky to find a few teeth in the graves, but here we have whole skeletons.”

Experts at the Odense Museum said the skeletons were preserved thanks to favorable soil chemistry, particularly chalk, and high water levels. The site was discovered last year during a routine survey ahead of power line renovation work on the edge of the village of Aasum, 5 kilometers (3 miles) northeast of Odense, Denmark’s third-largest city.

“This opens up completely new possibilities for scientific discovery,” Borre Lundø said as he stood on the muddy, windswept excavation site. “Hopefully we can do a DNA analysis of all the skeletons and see if they are related to each other and even where they come from.”

During the Viking Age, which is thought to have lasted from 793 to 1066 AD, Norsemen known as Vikings undertook large-scale raids, colonizing, conquering and trading throughout Europe and even reaching North America.

The Vikings excavated at Aasum were probably not warriors. Borre Lundø assumes that the place was probably a “standard settlement”, perhaps a farming community, located five kilometers from a ring fort in what is now the center of Odense.

The remains of men, women and children lie on the 2,000 square meter burial site. In addition to the skeletons, there are also some cremated corpses.

In one grave, a woman is buried in a cart – the top of a Viking cart served as a coffin – suggesting she belonged to the “upper part of society,” Borre Lundø told The Associated Press.

Archaeologists have also unearthed brooches, necklace beads, knives and even a small shard of glass that may have served as an amulet.

Borre Lundø said the brooch designs suggest the dead were buried between 850 and 900 AD

“There are different levels of burial,” he explained. “Some have nothing with them, others have brooches and pearl necklaces.”

Archaeologists say many of the artifacts came from far beyond Denmark’s borders, shedding light on the Vikings’ extensive trade routes in the 10th century.

“There is a lot of trade and commerce,” said Borre Lundø. “We also found a brooch that came from the island of Gotland in eastern Sweden, but also whetstones for sharpening your knife… all sorts of things point to Norway and Sweden.”

The burial site was discovered last year and excavations, which began in April, ended on Friday. Boxes of artifacts were sent to the Odense Museum’s conservation laboratories for cleaning and analysis.

Conservator Jannie Amsgaard Ebsen hopes the soil may also contain other preserved organic material on the backs of brooches or knife handles.

“We’re really hoping to get a bigger picture. Who were the people who lived out there? “Who did you interact with?” she said. “It’s a bit like a puzzle: all the different pieces of the puzzle are put together.”