A 9th century Viking burial ship: The amazingly well preserved Oseberg ship

Source: https://www.thevintagenews.com/2016/...oseberg-ship/2

The lavishness of the burial ceremony and the artifacts found in the grave suggests that this was a burial of very high status. One woman wore an exquisite red wool dress with a luxury twill pattern and a delicate white linen veil in a gauze interlace, while the other wore an unadorned blue wool dress with a wool veil, perhaps exhibiting some categorization in their social status.

Nothing entirely made of silk was worn by either woman, although small silk strips were sewn onto a tunic worn under the red dress.


Foremalsnummer: S1620
Batnamn: Osebergsskeppet 800-tal

The tree-ring dating (dendrochronological) analysis of timbers at the grave-site mound dates the burial in the autumn of 834. Although the identity of the high-ranking woman’s is not known, it has been implied that she is Queen Åsa of the Yngling tribe, who was the mother of Halfdan the Black and the grandmother of Harald Fairhair.

A Recent analysis of the women’s skeletons implies that they lived in Agder in Norway, as had Queen Åsa. However, this theory has been challenged, and some think she may have been a völva; a shaman in Norse history. Also found on the ship were also the skeletal remains of three dogs, fourteen horses, and an ox.

The younger woman’s mitochondrial haplogroup – we’ll just call it mtDNA – was categorized as U7, which is West Eurasian, according to Per Holck of Oslo University. Her ancestors probably came to Norway from Iran. However, three succeeding studies failed to confirm this because of two probable reasons – it is likely that the skeletal samples contain little, if any; genuine DNA or excessive handling has contaminated them.

More insight into the two women’s lives has been provided by examining fragments of the skeletons. An inspection of the younger woman’s teeth indicated that she used a metal toothpick, a rare luxury in the 9th century. Another luxury both women had was a diet comprised predominantly of meat, when fish was the staple of most Vikings. However, there was not enough DNA to reveal if they were family or even related, for that matter, for instance, a queen and her daughter.


View from the front.

The gravesite had been disturbed in the distant past, and precious metal artifacts were missing. Nevertheless, a large number of mundane items and artifacts were discovered during the 1904-1905 excavations.

These included a richly carved four-wheel wooden cart, wooden chests, four ornately decorated sleighs, bedposts, and as well as the so-called ‘Buddha bucket’ (Buddha-bøtte), an elaborately decorated brass and enamel ornament of a bucket and handle in the shape of an individual sitting with legs crossed.

The bucket is made from yew wood, bound together with brass strips and the handle is fastened to two human-type figures that are likened to representations of the Buddha in the lotus position, although it is not certain that there is any connection. Probably more relevant is the relationship between the decorated enamel torso and comparable human figures in the Gospel books of the insular art of the British Isles, such as the Book of Durrow.

More ordinary artifacts such as household and agricultural tools were also discovered. Also unearthed were a series of textiles included narrow tapestries, imported silks, and woolen garments. The Oseberg burial site is one of the very few sources of Viking Age textiles, and the wooden cart is the only Viking era cart found completely intact so far. One of the bedposts shows a rare example of the use of what has been dubbed the ‘valknut’ symbol, an Old Norse symbol representing slain warriors.

The preservation of the wooden artifacts is an ongoing issue without a final decision as of yet. Thirteen years after the debate began over the disposition of the ship; Norwegian Minister of Education Kristin Halvorsen stated on 3 May 2011 that the ship will not be moved from Bygdøy.