In a village in central Denmark, archeologists made a landmark discovery that could hold important clues to the Viking era: a burial ground, containing some 50 skeletons. "This is such an exciting find because we found these skeletons that are so very, very well preserved," says archeologist Michael Borre Lundø, who led the six-month dig, per the AP. "Normally, we would be lucky to find a few teeth in the graves, but here we have entire skeletons." The skeletons were preserved thanks to favorable soil chemistry, particularly chalk, and high water levels, experts from Museum Odense said. The site was discovered last year during a routine survey, ahead of power line renovation work on the outskirts of the village of Aasum, three miles northeast of Odense, Denmark's third-largest city.
Experts hope to conduct DNA analyses and possibly reconstruct detailed life histories, as well as looking into social patterns in Viking Age, such as kinship and migration patterns. "This opens a whole new toolbox for scientific discovery," says Borre Lundø. "Hopefully we can make a DNA analysis on all the skeletons and see if they are related to each other and even where they come from." During the Viking Age, considered to run from 793 to 1066AD, Norsemen undertook large-scale raids, colonizing, conquering, and trading throughout Europe, even reaching North America. The Vikings unearthed at Aasum likely weren't warriors. Borre Lundø believes the site was probably a "standard settlement," perhaps a farming community.
The 21,500-square-foot burial ground holds the remains of men, women, and children. One woman is buried in a wagon, suggesting she was from the "upper part of society," Borre Lundø says. Archeologists also unearthed brooches, necklace beads, and knives. Archeologists say many of the artifacts came from far beyond Denmark's borders, shedding light on extensive Viking trade routes during the 10th century. "There's a lot of trade and commerce going on," says Borre Lundø. Conservator Jannie Amsgaard Ebsen hopes the soil may also hold other preserved organic material on the backs of brooches or knife handles. "We're really hoping to gain the larger picture. Who were the people that were living out there?" she says. "It's a little bit like a jigsaw puzzle."
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