On Tuesday, the Moesgaard Museum in Aarhus announced the discovery of approximately thirty richly furnished 10th-century graves near Lisbjerg in northern Denmark. Unearthed accidentally during construction work, the graves are presumed to be of Viking origin and offer a glimpse into the lives of high-ranking individuals from the Viking Age.
Pearls, coins, ceramics, and a box adorned with golden thread were found on site. In addition to the funerary objects, researchers found human remains, including teeth and bones, which will aid in understanding the people who once inhabited this region.
Archaeologists believe that the graves date from the second half of the 10th century and are likely linked to a noble family connected to King Harald Bluetooth, the Danish monarch who ruled from 958 to 986 CE. King Harald Bluetooth is considered the founder of the Danish monarchy, one of the oldest in the world. He was baptized and introduced Christianity in Denmark, charging nobles with managing certain regions on his behalf.
"It could be one of the constables or stewards of Harald Bluetooth," said Mads Ravn, an archaeologist at the Moesgaard Museum. The graves are part of a pagan burial ground, suggesting that the individuals buried there held important positions before the widespread adoption of Christianity in Denmark.
One of the discoveries is a grave believed by scientists to belong to an important woman. The coffin contained decorative items and a pair of scissors, which Ravn described as a "very rare" find. "In the grave, people essentially took what was important to them into the grave because they wanted to transfer it to the other world," Ravn explained, according to 20 Minutes.
Aarhus, one of the oldest cities in Denmark, served as a royal and commercial center during the Viking Age. A road connected Aarhus to the Lisbjerg farm, linking the discovery site with the city and emphasizing Aarhus's role as a center of international trade.
Near the discovery site in Lisbjerg, the remains of a manor house belonging to a noble Viking family were found in the late 1980s. This proximity suggests a connection between the graves and the noble family who once inhabited the area. "The family head was probably a count or land steward in the service of King Bluetooth," Ravn suggested, according to Stern, pointing to the likely high social standing of the graves' occupants.
Excavations at Lisbjerg are expected to finish this week, after which experts will begin a scientific analysis of the objects.
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