Domesticated Animals Accompanied Vikings to Britain

Cremated horse fragment, Durham University

"This is the first solid scientific evidence that Scandinavians almost certainly crossed the North Sea with horses, dogs and possibly other animals as early as the ninth century AD and could deepen our knowledge of the Viking Great Army."

 :They were treated more like companion animals rather than just for economic purposes."

"I find it really touching, and it suggests we underestimate just how important animals were to Vikings."

"I'm not saying that they never took animals from the English when they arrived. But in possibly rare instances, they brought animals with them. And I think it kind of reflects the importance that we think animals had in Norse mythology, and that they were kind of sometimes seen as not just status symbols, but also as kind of, companions."

Tessi Loffelmann, doctoral researcher, Durham University / Vrije Universiteit Brussels

"It shows how much Viking leaders valued their personal horses and hounds that they brought them from Scandinavia, and that the animals were sacrificed to be buried with their owners."

Professor Julian Richards, Department of Archaeology, University of York

This photo shows one of the Heath Wood barrows being excavated by archaeologists. Julian Richards, University of York.

Recently published research reflecting a surprise archaeological find is evidence that when Vikings crossed the North Sea to arrive in Britain they brought along with them their personal horses and dogs. The research, published in the scientific journal PLOS ONE, reveals a new understanding of the culture of ancient Scandinavia. In actual fact, the place that animals have in the cultural psychology of most human societies through the ages is fairly widespread.

Looking somewhat further back to Egyptian mythology and religious culture it is clear that animals of the region, many common to other parts of earth's geography such as Indigenous First Peoples of North America, where were worshipped, given anthropological as well as godly attributes. Nor was their usefulness as herders and hunters -- from birds of prey to hunting dogs undervalued.

Evidence was discovered for the first time in Britain indicating that when individual Vikings died arrangements were made to have their valued dogs and horses cremated along with them and buried together. Infamously, historically to the near present, high-caste Hindu rituals in Indian funeral custom saw women cremated along with their deceased husbands; like the Vikings' animals to be buried together as beloved possessions to accompany them in the after-life.

The discovery of the Vikings' customs was made by researchers at Durham University, carrying out excavation work at Britain's only recognized Viking cremation cemetery, at Heath Wood in Derbyshire.The cemetery has links to the Viking Great Army, a combined military force of Scandinavian warriers that in 865AD invaded Britain.

 

Icelandic horse: Shutterstock

Remains of both humans and animals were discovered on a funeral pyre, analysis of the bones showing they originated in the Baltic Shield area of Scandinavia; encompassing Finland, Sweden, part of Norway and northwest Russia. In determining the bones' origin, the team studied traces of the element strontium in the remnants of two adults, a child and three animals found at the Heath Wood site.

Strontium naturally occurs in the environment, found in rocks, soil and water prior to appearing in plants. When those plants are consumed by humans and animals, strontium replaces calcium in bones and teeth. Various versions of strontium appear in different geological areas, acting as a 'fingerprint', identifying the geographic region that people or animals came from.

 

A new study suggests that the 9th century Vikings sailed with horses, dogs, and maybe even pigs. Photo: Shutterstock

A Mysterious Frozen Lake Disgorging Its Corpses

"It's hard to believe that each individual died in exactly the same way. We were extremely surprised by the genetics of the Roopkund skeletons."
"The presence of individuals with ancestries typically associated with the eastern Mediterranean suggests that Roopkund Lake was not just a site of local interest, but instead drew visitors from across the globe."
Eadaoin Harney, lead author, evolutionary biologist, Harvard University

"We have searched all the archives, but no such records [journeys of distinct populations in antiquity] were found."
"It is still not clear what brought these individuals to Roopkund Lake or how they died. We hope that this study represents the first of many analyses of this mysterious site."
Niraj Raf, ancient DNA expert, Birbal Sahni Institute of Palaeosciences, India

Roopkund Lake and its surrounding mountains. (Atish Waghwase)

"Through the use of biomolecular analyses, such as ancient DNA, stable isotope dietary reconstruction, and radiocarbon dating, we discovered that the history of Roopkund Lake is more complex than we ever anticipated."
David Reich, geneticist, Harvard Medical School

"Individuals belonging to the Indian-related group had highly variable diets, showing reliance on C₃ and C₄ derived food sources. These findings are consistent with the genetic evidence that they belonged to a variety of socioeconomic groups in South Asia."
"In contrast, the individuals with eastern Mediterranean-related ancestry appear to have consumed a diet with very little millet."
Ayushi Nayak, archaeologist, Max Planck Institute for the Science of Human History

Skeletal remains from as many as 500 people might lie in and around Roopkund lake.   Awanish Tirkey / Shutterstock

Scientists in India, the United States and Germany have published the results of a study they collaborated in, examining DNA from 38 remains found 16,500 feet above sea level at Roopkund Lake, known colloquially as 'Skeleton Lake' for the human bones it disgorges from time to time. The new genetic analysis published in Nature Communications, according to Jennifer Raff, a geneticist and anthropologist from University of Kansas, not involved in this research, has led to "a far richer view into the possible histories of this site".

That it may have done, but the mystery of how much, less why the lake became a funeral depository for people whose genetic differences indicate they came from diverse parts of the world is no closer to being solved. The lake, one hundred and thirty feet in width, remains frozen for most of the year in its snowbound valley. When warm days arrive, a macabre spectacle can be seen with hundreds of human skeletons emerging, some with flesh remaining attached to the bones.

The mystery of what it all means has puzzled scientists for years; how did the people buried there arrive, and from where, and why would the lake be designated a burial site? The prevailing thesis up until this new published research, was simultaneous mass death owing to a catastrophic event that occurred over a thousand years earlier. An anthropological survey dating back several years had studied five of the skeletons, concluding them to date from 1,200 years ago.

Roopkund Lake and its mysteries have been known to science for the past several decades -- while the provenance of its skeletons was a puzzle. The fact that the site has been disturbed as a result of rock slides, the migration of ice disturbing the site, as well as human visitors disturbing and moving remains made it awkward to decipher when and how the burials took place, let alone who was buried there: "In a case like this, that becomes impossible", bioarchaeologist Cat Jarman of University of Bristol, England, explained.

Led by Niraj Raj and David Reich, a geneticist at Harvard University, the researchers extracted DNA from the remains of dozens of skeletal samples, identifying 28 as males and 15 females. Tests placed these individual skeletons into three distinct genetic groupings; twenty three, both males and females indicated ancestries typical of contemporary South Asians. Their remains had been deposited at the lake some time between the seventh and 10th centuries, discretely.

Some of the skeletons were identified as more ancient than others; many lifetimes apart. The findings settled on two more genetic groups suddenly appearing at the lake between the 17th and 20th centuries; one identified as being of East Asian-related ancestry, the remainder, 14 individuals of eastern Mediterranean ancestry. The great conundrum is how all these individuals died. No evidence can be found of bacterial infections, ruling out an epidemic.

There were children and elderly adults among the skeletons, none familial-related. Individuals were identified from chemical signatures as having had significantly varied diets, suggesting that several distinct population groups were involved. The genetic ancestry appears to resemble that of people today living in Greece or Crete, but it is clear that those from the distant eastern Mediterranean came from a far distance to reach Roopkund Lake, their reasons beyond obscure.

Roopkund Lake is 16,499 feet above sea level in the Indian Himalayas. (Pramod Joglekar)

The Mystery of Decapitation

"What you rarely find is such a very high proportion of deviant burials. To the point where, in this population, it should actually be regarded as the normal practice."
"We have a fairly evenly mixed population by gender, with a couple of juvenile skeletons but most were at least middle aged if not older."
"The incisions through the neck were post-mortem and were neatly placed just behind the jaw. An execution would cut lower through the neck and with violent force and this is not present anywhere."
"This appears to be a careful funeral rite that may be associated with a particular group within the [then] local population."
"Most [of the skeletal remains] were [those of people] at least middle-aged if not older. They were well nourished, and several had very robust upper arms and bodies consistent with a working agricultural population." 
Archaeologist Andrew Peachey, Archaeological Solutions

17 of the skeletons found had been decapitated  Credit: Archaeological Solutions /SWNS 

What has been unearthed in the village of Great Whelnetham, Suffolk, eastern England was nothing if not unexpected. The population of the village is a modest 849 people, the village itself located about 130 kilometres from London, to the northeast. Its sole historical distinguishing feature up to the present time was a 13th century church, in itself impressive enough. Recent findings, however, place human history in the region much, much further back in time.

Previous evidence of human habitation during the time of Roman conquest with settlements in the area were verified with the discovery of pottery shards and coins linked to the era. No defined Roman road was known to have run through Great Whelnetham, but in 1964, remains of a pottery kiln and Roman burial sites had been uncovered. More latterly, the Havebury Housing Partnership, a social housing association, asked for archaeological assessments before they undertook a planned new-home-building site in the area.

A private archaeological contractor set about conducting excavations at two areas, their work  monitored by the local country archaeological service. A boundary ditch was excavated and found to contain Roman pottery, several dishes imported from Gaul and beakers decorated with running stags produced in Colchester, the oldest recorded Roman town in Britain, 45 kilometres south. The archaeological team estimated that the ditch was disused and had been backfilled around150 to 220 A.D.

A decapitated Roman burial with the head placed between the feet, and a second human skull possibly from an adjacent grave. Courtesy Archaeological Solutions

Site number two was where excavation produced the presence of human skeletons, surprising the archaeologists since the excavated ground is sandy a material that leads to skeletal degradation and eventual disintegration, yet they began unearthing skeletal remains in good condition, the bones lying as they must have been buried; no fewer than 52 mostly complete skeletons. Of that number 17 only were buried in the traditional Roman manner; completely supine.

The remainder of the skeletons represented "deviant" burials, not lying flat on their backs but buried face down, while others had been buried in a crouching position. All 17 full skeletons had been decapitated, the heads placed between the legs or feet; and one skull was discovered under the right knee of the skeleton remains while four skulls had been buried with no accompanying body. A macabre find, to be sure.

Men, women and one child represented the decapitated remains; altogether 60 percent of the graves were recognized as "deviant"; oddities of burial strangely the norm in this ancient graveyard; a highly unusual occurrence. The lead archaeologist, Andrew Peachy, initially considered ritual executions of bodies some 1,600 years old, with heads removed post-mortem. Speculation led to the thought that these people represented a cult with an unusual habit of separating head from body before burial.

A decapitated Roman skeleton with the head placed under one knee.   Courtesy Archaeological Solutions

Perhaps representing a group that had migrated to the area from elsewhere in the Roman empire; possibly a pagan group among whom heads are venerated as the seat of the soul. If so, it would seem strange that a soul would be left to wander in the afterlife absent a corporeal essence. In other cultures a body must be completely intact for any hope of returning to life after death for those believing in an afterlife.

The burials, if ceremonially ritualistic, can be accepted as such, but the presence of children among the adult dead might seem strange other than that they were sacrificed to propitiate a god. Mr. Peachey is confident that the burials were carried out with care, respectfully, hence the placement of the bodies and the heads and the burying of the bodies in presumed cloth shrouds in the lack of evidence that any kind of coffins were ever used.

Of the juvenile skeletons, it was estimated the children had been about nine or ten years of age, buried among the middle-aged, for whatever reason. Although on examination they all appeared to have been well fed, the presence of dental abscesses and lost teeth appear to indicate a diet including natural sugars and carbohydrates and poor dental hygiene. Several of the examined bodies were identified as carrying tuberculosis, common in populations of rural agriculture of the time. 

The cleaning and recording Roman burials is undertaken by a research team. Courtesy Archaeological Solutions