An archaeological dig not far from Köping, a town in Västmanland County in central Sweden, is attracting the attention of researchers.
According to one Press release several Viking swords have previously been found in the area by archaeologists from Statens historia museums, but the discovery of two more swords is described as a sensation.
– We could see the handle of one of the swords protruding from the ground, right under the turf, says Anton Seiler, an archaeologist at the State Historical Museums in Sweden.
STANDING UP: Archaeologists behind the findings in Västmanland County could see the handle of one of the Viking swords protrude. Photo: Archaeologists, State Historical Museums
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Ancient
The swords, which are estimated to be around 1,200 years old, have been placed up and down in the center of each respective tomb, which is described as very unusual.
– In total, just over 20 Viking-era swords have been found in Västmanland in the past, so finding two specimens from our own cemetery, and also intact in the graves, is a bit of a sensation. Especially when they are positioned as they are, says archaeologist Seiler.
The funerary field in which the findings were made consists of about 100 tombs, divided into two burial mounds, datable to the late Iron Age.
However, the tombs in question are more recent than this one. 200 to 300 years after a burial mound was built, people returned and expanded it with three new tombs, archaeologists say.
Ingrid (31) has lived as a Viking since she was 15
In one of these tombs, according to the archaeologists’ release, a large quantity of glass beads was found, while the other two contained swords.
– We don’t know why more people were buried later in the heap, if it was related to kinship or if they wanted to mark some kind of belonging, Seiler says.
The Vikings who wanted to conquer Rome
He is also puzzled by the way the swords have been positioned:
– Maybe it was a way to value and remember one’s relatives, through the possibility of visiting the place where the swords were and touching them, speculates Seiler according to the press release.
The archaeologist further describes that they hope that analyzes will reveal whether they are graves of men or women.
1,200 YEARS: This is how this sword has stood for about 1,200 years, archaeologists estimate. It has now been sent for analysis. Photo: Archaeologists, State Historical Museums
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– Complex place
Another unusual thing about the site, where three tombs were built over a burial site from several hundred years earlier, is that the original burial site appears to have been built on an older farm.
– We looked at the area in stages. Below the burial field are the remains of older farms, from the Bronze Age or the Early Iron Age. There are signs that iron production has even been carried out, so it’s a very complex place, says archaeologist Fredrik Larsson in the same press release.
