Norway Couple Find Viking Age Grave Under Their House
by David Nikel
A Norwegian couple got quite the shock when renovating their old family house near Bodø in northern Norway this month.
After removing the floorboards and some sand with the intention to install insulation, the couple discovered several rocks. They continued digging and spotted something glittering in the light.
A Viking Age discovery
According to TV2 they first believed it was the wheel from a toy car, but as the floor had never been lifted since the house’s construction in 1914, it had to be something else. The item turned out to be a glass bead.
The couple also found a large iron axehead and several other iron objects. They contacted the Nordland county authority which has responsibility for cultural heritage. Experts from Tromsø museum visited the house the following day.
By Norwegian law, any cultural monuments that show traces of human activity prior to 1537 are automatically preserved.
A full excavation
Archaeologists have now started a full excavation of what they believe is a grave from the Viking Age. While such burial sites are not uncommon in Norway, this would be the first example of one found under a house.
Archaeologist Martinus Hauglid said that the glass bead and iron items are likely from the late Viking Age, when Norway transitioned to Christianity and became one kingdom.
“We assume it dates back to the 9th century, probably a grave from the Viking Age. Now there is a group of archaeologists from Tromsø doing a survey, and they will bring all the finds north,” he told Bodø Nu. The iron items and bead are already at Tromsø University for further study.
Discoveries across Norway and beyond
The discovery is the latest in a long line of fascinating archaeological discoveries in or related to Norway.
Recently, a rare example of a Roman-style board game dating from the Viking Age was discovered at Ytre Fosse, north of Bergen. Earlier this year, a rare Roman coin was discovered on Donna island in northern Norway, while more Viking Age board game pieces were found on Lindisfarne off the coast of north east England, where one of the first Viking raids was said to have taken place.
A melting glacier in the Norwegian mountains revealed the full extent of the Lendbreen mountain pass, an important trade route from the Roman era until the late Middle Ages. Fragments of clothing, sleds and a line of cairns marking the trail were among the artifacts found.