It was common during the time of the Vikings, which lasted from about 700 AD to 1100, for high ranking members of society to be buried in boats. It was also common for these people to be buried in the same area or mound, but new research from archaeologists at the NTNU (Norwegian University of Science and Technology) University Museum have discovered buried together, despite dying 100 years apart. Experts from NTNU found a ninth century boat grave of a woman in Skeiet at Vinjeøra, in central Norway.§
However, digging a little deeper they discovered the grave of a man who was buried in a slightly larger boat, up to 10 metres long.
The team deduced that when the woman died, the Vinjeøra Vikings carefully excavated the grave of the man.
The vikings then placed the new boat grave inside the old one, and re-burried the two.
Why they did this, experts are currently unsure.
Raymond Sauvage, an archaeologist at the NTNU University Museum and project manager for the excavation, said: “I had heard about several boat graves being buried in one burial mound, but never about a boat that had been buried inside another boat.
“I have since learned that a few double boat graves were found in the 1950s, at Tjølling, in the south of the Norwegian county of Vestfold. Still, this is essentially an unknown phenomenon.
“Hopefully, we will be able to get some DNA from the skull to provide us with more information, such as what she looked like
“The connection between the boat graves and the mound is very exciting. The two boat graves are also located right at the edge of a cliff, overlooking the fjord. This must have been a monument in the landscape.
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“It was common among the Vikings to split up decorative harness fittings and reuse them as jewellery. Several fastenings on the back of this brooch were preserved, and were used to attach leather straps to the harness.
“The new Norse owners attached a pin to one of the fastenings so it could be used as a brooch.
“The Viking voyages – whether for raids, trading or other expeditions – were central in Norse society. That meant it was important to participate in this activity, not only for the material goods, but also to raise both your own and your family’s status.”