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Tag: medieval history

Top 10 of 2024: Helium, a medieval gauntlet, and the oldest animals on Earth

Here is the list of the most read articles on Science Norway during the last year.

Precise dating from Medieval Oslo: This is undoubtedly the King's Wharf

The King’s Wharf, which was excavated in Bjørvika earlier this year, was built with trees felled in 1288.

This Norwegian-Swedish cannon could be one of the oldest in Europe

The cannon was loaded and ready for battle when it ended up at the bottom of the sea 600 years ago off what was an important medieval Norwegian city.

Archaeologists may have found a Viking house the length of almost two tennis courts

This summer's excavation at an ancient royal estate in Norway has uncovered traces of a massive house, an exquisite sword, and many remnants of lavish parties.

Why do Scandinavians celebrate Midsummer?

“People were not supposed to work, and farmers were required to drink beer,” cultural historian Herleik Baklid says. This was also a day when evil forces were out and about. And you should pick flowers, preferably while naked.

Digitising our medieval heritage requires better search tools

OPINION: The Middle Ages continue to captivate our imagination through their portrayal in films, TV series and games. The term medieval evokes vivid associations in our minds. But where does our knowledge of the Middle Ages truly originate?

Medieval gaming piece with runic inscription discovered in Norway

An old sewer pipe needed repair in Trondheim in mid-Norway last year. A last-minute dig to save possible archaeological objects yielded a surprising and rare result: a gaming piece with runes.

We are still surrounded by the Middle Ages

SHARE YOUR SCIENCE: Historical events from the Middle Ages are often used – and misused – in political argumentation in our time. A current example is how Vladimir Putin misuses the Middle Ages to deny Ukraine’s right to exist as an independent nation.

Archaeologists had to destroy nearly all of the medieval ‘King’s Wharf’ soon after they excavated it.

Remains of a massive foundation for a wharf were recently uncovered during excavations in Bjørvika, east of Oslo’s centre. It might have been the King's Wharf during medieval times. But no sooner had the wharf been found than it was gone again.

This brooch became high fashion during the late Viking and Middle Age

The number of Urnes style brooches found in Norway have more than doubled in the past decade, most likely due to an increase of metal detectorists.

The world's most modern Viking ship can parallel park

You probably haven’t heard of electric Viking ships before. Old meets new in ‘Saga Farmann’ — and the Vikings would probably approve, being the innovators that they were.

Shipwreck discovered at the bottom of Norway’s largest lake – possibly 700 years old

Marine archaeologists believe the ship dates to sometime between 1300 – 1850. It was found at the bottom of the lake Mjøsa, at 410 metres.

Meet Tora, 65 years old. She lived during the Middle Ages

Researchers have created a model of a medieval woman from Trondheim in Norway, based on analysis of her bones.

If you were rich in medieval Norway, you were also tall and had strong bones

Researchers have studied remains in burial grounds found around Norway.

This is what an ancient Mary and Jesus statue would have looked like 800 years ago

An ancient statue in Norway has been recreated. It shows us how Jesus and Mary may have looked when the statue came to Norway 800 years ago.

Monks had to remain silent whilst they ate, so they invented a sign language

The Cistercian monks lived by strict rules.

Medieval excavation greatest hits: 800 years ago a fashion queen strolled the streets of Oslo in this elegant shoe

An exquisitely carved king holding a falcon, an elaborately decorated shoe and a rune stick are among the finds the archaeologists have picked for their top 11 list of finds from the recently ended excavation in the Medieval Park in Oslo.

Mysterious medieval moat found in the middle of Oslo: "Could suggest a desperate need for defense"

An untouched area of land in the middle of the city presented a puzzle to the archaeologists. Until they realized what it was: King Haakon Haakonsson’s moat. But why did the King build what was by then an outdated defense system?

A lost Viking town discovered in the 1950s is stored away in this basement

Not until recently have researchers really started studying a thousand-year-old Norwegian town we know surprisingly little about.

The Norwegian medieval kings were known to give the best gifts: Falcons

Norwegian falcons given as gifts from the Norwegian king during the Middle Ages are said to have been valued more highly than silver and gold by the English royal family.

Gaming-pieces and a gaming board found in the Medieval Park in Oslo

New finds from Oslo's Medieval Park excavation shed light on one of history's most popular pastimes: playing games and gambling.

New runic find from medieval Oslo – this time it’s a name tag

Asbjørn put his name on it, 800 years ago.

What old graffiti can tell us about medieval people

In some places, the carvings are a sign of religious community. On other walls, they are a product of competition.

A bone and a stick inscribed with Norse runic text found in Oslo

A large bone inscribed on both sides is the first such item found in Oslo in more than 30 years, according to the Norwegian Institute for Cultural Heritage Research (NIKU).

Knife handle in the shape of a king from the 13th century found in the Medieval Park in Oslo

It may be the oldest of its kind in Scandinavia, researchers believe.

Norway’s wooden stave churches are a demanding heritage to maintain

Only 28 of Norway’s unique stave churches remain. Maintaining them presents challenges.

How dirty and stinky were medieval cities?

People in the Middle Ages were aware that a putrid urban environment was unhealthy, and according to Norwegian researchers they confronted the problem.

Law and justice: Swearing an oath in the Middle Ages was powerful evidence

In the 13th century, rumour meant a lot. If the village gossiped that you had been unfaithful, you could be put on trial. You then had to find people who would swear you were innocent.

Thousands of medieval trinkets discovered underneath Scandinavian churches

More than 100,000 coins and hairpins have been found under the floorboards of medieval churches throughout Scandinavia, revealing insights into religious life in the Middle Ages.

Was rape common in the Middle Ages?

TV shows such as "Game of Thrones" on HBO and "Norsemen" depict rape as having been commonplace in the past. But is that correct?