Ancient Viking Graves Yield Pearls, Gold Thread, a Dog

Archaeologists digging in northern Denmark have uncovered a Viking burial site brimming with rare treasures, shedding new light on the lives—and afterlives—of ancient nobility. The discovery of the 10th-century burial site near Aarhus, made during construction work, revealed a collection of ancient items including pearls, coins, ceramics, and a box containing gold thread, per the Guardian. The site features around 30 graves, dating back to the reign of King Harald Bluetooth, who ruled in the second half of the 10th century and is credited with introducing Christianity to Denmark. Aarhus, now Denmark's second-largest city, was a key royal and commercial hub during the Viking age, which spanned from the 8th to the 11th centuries.

Mads Ravn, an archaeologist from the Moesgaard Museum, says the graves are likely linked to a noble Viking family whose farm was found about half a mile away in the 1980s. Some of the graves may have belonged to one of Harald Bluetooth's local stewards or earls, Ravn tells the Guardian. Archaeologists found teeth and bones, as well as personal belongings buried with the deceased—a practice thought to help transfer important items to the afterlife. One grave believed to have belonged to a woman contained a rare box filled with decorative objects—one of only four such artifacts known to exist. The excavation is wrapping up this week, after which experts will analyze the objects, especially the wooden artifacts, to help date the site more precisely.

Separately, archaeologists recently discovered the grave of a presumed Viking woman, who was buried with her dog in Norway's far north in the 10th century, between AD900 and 950. The well-preserved "boat grave" near the village of Sand on the island of Senja included two oval brooches trimmed with silver wire, which experts say have only been found in the graves of women. "We believe the woman buried here held significant status locally, and perhaps even across the region," Anja Roth Niemi, an archaeologist at the Arctic University of Norway, tells Live Science, adding the dog buried at her feet "suggests that dogs and humans had a close and cherished relationship, even over 1,000 years ago." (This content was created with the help of AI. Read our AI policy.)