The Earliest Wave of Viking Activity? The Norwegian Evidence Revisited

This article discusses the chronology and nature of the earliest Viking activity, based on a group of early burials from Norway containing Insular metalwork. By focusing on the geographical distribution of this material and applying the concept of locational and social knowledge, the importance of establishing cognitive landscapes to facilitate the Viking expansion is highlighted. It is argued that the first recorded Viking attacks were only possible after a phase in which Norse seafarers had acquired the necessarily level of a priori environmental knowledge needed to move in new seascapes and coastal environments. This interaction model opens the possibility that some of the early Insular finds from Norway may represent pre-Lindisfarne exploration voyages, carried out by seafarers along the sailing route of Nordvegr

Insular contact and artefacts from Viking Age burials in Trøndelag

This dissertation is a study of insular contact and artefacts found in Viking age (800 to 1050 AD) burials in Trøndelag in central Norway. Despite of the quantity of material previously recognised, very little research has been done on the subject for this area. An updated review as part of this study, has shown that there are a great many more insular finds in Trøndelag than previously thought. This gives a new basis to review contacts with Britain and Ireland, and to see how these developed over the period. The archaeological evidence indicates that contact between Trøndelag and the British Isles was well established at an early stage during the Viking age. The insular artefacts found in several of the earliest burials dated to around 800 or before, seem to reflect a different form of contact than random, plundered loot. During the 9th century, the amount of insular finds in Trøndelag increases significantly and the majority of the material can be dated to this century. On the basis of the archaeological material, there seem to have been a close relationship between societies in the Trondheimfjord and Norse colonies in the British Isles. The discovery of a Viking woman in northern England, who on the basis of isotopic analysis has been traced to the area around Trondheim, seems to confirm the wider Trøndelag evidence. This extensive contact may also be reflected in the few known cases of burials in stone cists of this date in Trøndelag. During the 10th century there appear to be several significant changes in the network of contact with Britain and Ireland. Around AD 900 there is a considerable decrease of insular finds in several areas which seemed to have a strong link to the British Isles in the previous century. The insular contacts which still exist with the Trondheimfjord area in the 10th century appear to be centralised to the inner part of the fjord. The majority of insular artefacts have been found in women graves. Traditionally such items are often interpreted as exotic and attractive gifts or souvenirs from men returning from overseas expeditions. By analysing the functions of these items and the meaning these objects could have been given in their new setting, this dissertation has emphasised how many objects may be considered as active expressions of the buried women’s social and cultural background and of their role in networks with overseas contacts. This might especially have been the case for those women buried with insular equipment for serving food and drink. These items may have been significant symbols for the buried women’s important role in alliance-building activities within communities and networks with relations to the British Isles

Mellom De britiske øyer og Midt-Norge: En arkeologisk analyse av insulær kontakt og gjenstandsfunn fra vikingtidsgraver i Trøndelag

This dissertation is a study of insular contact and artefacts found in Viking age (800 to 1050 AD) burials in Trøndelag in central Norway. Despite of the quantity of material previously recognised, very little research has been done on the subject for this area. An updated review as part of this study, has shown that there are a great many more insular finds in Trøndelag than previously thought. This gives a new basis to review contacts with Britain and Ireland, and to see how these developed over the period. The archaeological evidence indicates that contact between Trøndelag and the British Isles was well established at an early stage during the Viking age. The insular artefacts found in several of the earliest burials dated to around 800 or before, seem to reflect a different form of contact than random, plundered loot. During the 9th century, the amount of insular finds in Trøndelag increases significantly and the majority of the material can be dated to this century. On the basis of the archaeological material, there seem to have been a close relationship between societies in the Trondheimfjord and Norse colonies in the British Isles. The discovery of a Viking woman in northern England, who on the basis of isotopic analysis has been traced to the area around Trondheim, seems to confirm the wider Trøndelag evidence. This extensive contact may also be reflected in the few known cases of burials in stone cists of this date in Trøndelag. During the 10th century there appear to be several significant changes in the network of contact with Britain and Ireland. Around AD 900 there is a considerable decrease of insular finds in several areas which seemed to have a strong link to the British Isles in the previous century. The insular contacts which still exist with the Trondheimfjord area in the 10th century appear to be centralised to the inner part of the fjord. The majority of insular artefacts have been found in women graves. Traditionally such items are often interpreted as exotic and attractive gifts or souvenirs from men returning from overseas expeditions. By analysing the functions of these items and the meaning these objects could have been given in their new setting, this dissertation has emphasised how many objects may be considered as active expressions of the buried women’s social and cultural background and of their role in networks with overseas contacts. This might especially have been the case for those women buried with insular equipment for serving food and drink. These items may have been significant symbols for the buried women’s important role in alliance-building activities within communities and networks with relations to the British Isles

Insulære beslag fra vikingtidsgraver i Trøndelag: En undersøkelse av gjenstandenes bruk og betydning

The most common of Insular objects found in Norway are various types of highly-decorated copper-alloy or silver mounts, often found as fragments of the original piece, mainly horse harnesses or from religious equipment such as reliquary shrines, books and altar furniture. Such items are usually found in women’s graves which also contain oval brooches. A great many of the Insular mounts appear to have been converted into brooches by the addition of pin fittings, and are therefore often interpreted as being used as a third brooch to fasten a cape or cloak. Since the early 20th century, this interpretation has become well-repeated in numerous publications. However, this article draws attention to several unpublished examples from the region of Trøndelag where the mounts have been found below the waist of the buried women accompanied by keys and knives and therefore indicates that a use as belt fittings/decoration. This is a use in connection with female Norse dress which hasn’t previously been recognised, and indicate that Insular mounts have had a varied use on female, Norse dresses. The symbolic aspects of these monuments must also have been significant. As distinctive elements of the Norse costume, such exotic items may have been used as important markers signaling status and overseas contacts

Evidence of Viking trade and 'Danelaw' connections? Inset lead weights from Norway and the western Viking World

This article presents and discusses the use and itineraries of inset lead weights from Norway and the wider Viking world. The weights, which are mostly inset with decorated metalwork, coins and glass are likely to be of 'Insular-Viking' manufacture, which developed in the late 9th and/or early 10th century. While the Norwegian corpus has generally received attention for its 'Irish' style of metalwork and therefore Irish affiliation, this article demonstrates how some of the material may rather have travelled to Norway via England. Here, they were extensively used in Viking milieus and the Irish-style insets were probably carried eastwards from Ireland by some of the historically attested groups who joined the Viking armies in England. The alternative route suggested for the weights which ended up in Norway has several implications, especially for providing potential evidence for integrated contact between the Danelaw area and Norway. The article also investigates fragmented mounts, a material phenomenon found in Viking and Norse contexts on both sides of the North Sea. While these mounts are often regarded as one group, the article identifies different practices in the fragmentation of this material, based on morphological details. It is suggested that 're-fashioned' pieces, i.e. those carefully cut into pieces and reworked into dress ornaments can be separated from 'hack-bronze' – those that appear to have been fragmented in the same manner as hack silver and other metals intended for reuse as scrap or as bullion

Insular artefacts from Viking-Age burials from mid-Norway. A review of contact between Trøndelag and Britain and Ireland

This article presents a detailed overview of the Insular artefacts found in Viking-Age burials from the Trøndelag region of mid-Norway, most of which have not previously been published in English. The archaeological evidence indicates that contact between Trøndelag and the British Isles was well established at an early stage of the Viking Age. The main evidence for contact comes from the 9th century, when a number of significant patterns can be discerned. Some local concentrations of Insular goods show the continuing importance of some pre-Viking centres, while other areas suggest co-operation between several neighbouring families in order to equip and provision overseas expeditions. Later, the datable Insular artefacts indicate significant changes in the nature of contact. North Sea trading towards the end of the Viking Age appears to be affected by increasing centralisation of power in Trøndelag during the 10th century

Insular artefacts from Viking-Age burials from mid-Norway. A review of contact between Trøndelag and Britain and Ireland

This article presents a detailed overview of the Insular artefacts found in Viking-Age burials from the Trøndelag region of mid-Norway, most of which have not previously been published in English. The archaeological evidence indicates that contact between Trøndelag and the British Isles was well established at an early stage of the Viking Age. The main evidence for contact comes from the 9th century, when a number of significant patterns can be discerned. Some local concentrations of Insular goods show the continuing importance of some pre-Viking centres, while other areas suggest co-operation between several neighbouring families in order to equip and provision overseas expeditions. Later, the datable Insular artefacts indicate significant changes in the nature of contact. North Sea trading towards the end of the Viking Age appears to be affected by increasing centralisation of power in Trøndelag during the 10th century.Content from this work may be used under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 (CC BY) Unported licence, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided that attribution to the author(s), the title of the work, the Internet Archaeology journal and the relevant URL/DOI is given

An Insular Reliquary from Melhus: The Significance of Insular Ecclesiastical Material in Early Viking- Age Norway

THIS PAPER presents and discusses a unique insular reliquary shrine discovered in an early 9th-century woman’s grave at Melhus, central Norway, over a century ago. In addition to a detailed re-evaluation of the shrine and its use in its original ecclesiastical context, the paper also proposes an alternative interpretation as to how the local pagan population may have conceptualised this Christian object after it arrived in Norse hands. While most of the insular ecclesiastical items in Scandinavia were broken up and transformed into personal ornaments, the Melhus shrine was kept complete, suggesting it was considered to be of special value. It is argued here that this status should be seen in association with the shrine’s involvement in local narratives and ritual aspects connected with the earliest voyages across the North Sea. The woman with whom the reliquary was buried may have played a central role in these rituals

Roman Iron Age and Migration period building traditions and settlement organisation at Vik, Ørland

This article examines Roman Iron Age and Migration Period building traditions, settlement organisations and the social relations of two multiphase farmsteads in Fields C and D at southern Vik, Ørland. Firstly and by applying a geometric approach to the Iron-Age buildings, it is established that an axis of symmetry is present in all of the investigated longhouses. It is suggested here that four of the buildings were so similar that they may represent a common building tradition at Vik throughout the Roman Period. Secondly and in terms of settlement layout, it is suggested that, in each phase, a longhouse was accompanied by a smaller building. Several farmstead categories are identified, including the lined, the parallel, the angled and the dispersed settlement. Finally and regarding the social and spatial relations between the farms, it is argued that the evidence points towards the presence of two large, but socially equal neighbouring settlements. The reason for the abandonment of southern Vik in the early 6th century is unknown, but it follows a trait seen in many parts of Norway, where sites with continued settlement in the Early Iron Age were abandoned during the Migration Period