Broken bones in ancient homes shed new light on Viking violence

This article has been reviewed according to Science X's editorial process and policies. Editors have highlighted the following attributes while ensuring the content's credibility: Fragmented bones and skull pieces found in hearths, beneath floors and in other domestic settings in early Scandinavian settlement sites are providing fresh insights into Iron Age and Viking Age violence. In contrast to the Nordic nations' peaceful reputation today, Iron Age and Viking Age Scandinavia was marked by significant physical violence.

Some of the evidence for this comes from sagas and other written records, as well as burial mounds and mass graves where skeletons bear signs of severe trauma. However, these aren't the only places where archaeologists can look for clues about ancient victims of violence. People also placed human bodies, or at least parts of them, in homes, wells and feasting halls.

Now a team of scientists from the BODY-POLITICS project has examined human remains spanning 1,500 years found in nontraditional settings. Their research presents a far more complex picture of everyday life and death in early Scandinavia. The BODY-POLITICS project is an international research initiative examining human remains found in these settlement sites.

It was set up to investigate a number of areas, including how bodies were placed in domestic spaces and what these unusual burials reveal about violence and everyday life. In this study, published in the Journal of Archaeological Method and Theory, researchers examined bones held in museum collections alongside earlier excavation reports. In particular, they were looking for evidence of injuries and healing.

The scientists identified 12 people with traumatic injuries out of a data set of nearly 200 individuals. Among these, at least eight show evidence of deliberate violence. The findings also point to repeated physical trauma.

Four individuals suffered multiple injuries over the course of their lives, including one Viking Age man who had survived three separate blows to his skull as well as fractures to his forearm and collarbone before his death. One of the most striking findings was a skull fragment from a child aged 2 to 4 found beneath a floor. He may have suffered a weapon injury around the time of his death.