Researchers have examined the burial mound where the Gokstad Viking ship was found. What they found surprised them. “The first thing that struck me was that it was so neat. All the layers were so clean,” says archaeologist Rebecca Cannell to sciencenorway.no.
What did the Vikings really eat? Norwegian researchers are working to find out more about what the Vikings cooked in their cauldrons.
Why archaeologists call for an immediate Gjellestad Viking ship dig One reason is the ship is under attack by a fungus that is consuming the wood. "It’s being eaten from all directions and we don’t know how long this siege has been going on,” says Archaeologist Christian Rødsrud.
Glacial archaeology: Activity over this mountain pass was at its peak during the Viking Age Norwegians used this mountain pass for more than 1200 years. As the ice melts in the high mountains, long-hidden objects emerge.
The mystery from pre-Viking days: Only the most powerful had these little pieces of gold Was it a gold ticket to important meetings? Or proof that you were related to the Gods? A new gold foil figure was recently found in Vestfold.
Vikings wiped out Iceland’s walruses Walrus tusks were a luxury good, and the ungainly marine mammals probably didn't put up much of a fight when the Vikings came to the island country.
Government finally grants money for new Viking ship museum in Oslo The unique collection of Norwegian viking ships is housed in dire conditions. Next years National Budget has granted money to start the process for a new museum to be built.
Crazed Viking warriors may have been high on henbane The Viking warriors who went berserk may have been intoxicated with the plant stinking henbane, one scientist says. Norwegian experts have their doubts.
Creating languages of the past for HBO’s "Beforeigners" Researchers who created language for the new HBO hit Beforeigners couldn’t just translate Norwegian into Old Norse, 19th-century Norwegian or a Stone Age language. For one thing, how would you curse in Old Norse if you knew nothing of Christianity?
Why did the Vikings take hostages? Sometimes the captives spent their whole lives together with the hostage-takers.
Counting the years the Viking way How did Norway keep track of time before it adopted the modern calendar?
Viking arrowheads emerge from melting Norwegian glaciers High up in the mountains, archaeologists are now discovering human traces dating as far back as the Stone age.
’Twas dangerous to insult a Viking You had to watch your tongue during the Viking era. Insulting someone could get you killed on the spot. But could you get away with murder?
Old DNA reveals Viking impacts on flora and fauna Vikings’ navigational skills and travels led to more than plundering and cultural exchanges. It also spread Scandinavian plants and animals to places abroad – and likewise brought foreign flora and fauna to the Nordic countries.
Norwegian Viking treasures tour Europe Viking relics found in Norway and elsewhere are expected to be viewed by exceptionally large crowds in London as the British Museum stages its first major Viking exhibition in 30 years.
Mysterious code in Viking runes is cracked A runic code called jötunvillur has finally been decrypted. It just might help solve the mystery of the Vikings’ secret codes.
Old Arabic texts describe dirty Vikings Arabs who encountered Scandinavians who had journeyed eastward depicted them as handsome people but filthy and barbaric.
Dreaming of Valhalla What does Norse mythology say about the creation of the world? Can ancient tales answer the questions of today? A new tablet application called “Dreams of Valhalla” offers everything you ever wanted to know about Norse myths and their gods and goddesses.
Dealing with the doldrums on a Viking voyage The outline of a foot on the Gokstad Ship gives us an inkling of what it might have been like for Vikings to cross the ocean.
Vikings flaunted foreign bling Viking women adorned themselves with what had been more everyday objects abroad. The women can be compared with today’s fashionistas.
Norway should also dig up its “car-park kings” An estimated 25 ancient Norwegian kings are buried in unmarked graves round the country. An archaeologist and king expert thinks the most notable of these should be exhumed.
Don’t underestimate Viking women The status of Viking women may be underestimated due to the way we interpret burial findings.
Pre-Viking hotspot on the Norwegian Coast Kings took control of coastal maritime traffic in Norway as early as the third century, long before the Viking Age. Discoveries from the ancient royal residences offer new proof.
Immigration in the Viking era The stalwart peasant. Christianity. Ibsen, Grieg and the poet-priest Petter Dass. A glance at history indicates the Norwegian archetypes have immigrant backgrounds. So who are the Norwegians actually?
Viking research sails eastward The Vikings’ relationship to Eastern Europe has been overlooked, but a new era in Viking research is underway, according to Norwegian Archaeologist.
