A windswept mound on England’s Cumbrian coast may conceal one of the most sought-after Viking burials in Britain: the grave of Ivarr “the Boneless”, a feared 9th-century war leader linked to the Great Heathen Army. Archaeologist Steve Dickinson says medieval references to a place called “Coningeshou” — “The King’s Mound” — point toward a specific coastal hill, where he believes a ship burial and a wider Viking cemetery could still lie undisturbed under turf and scrub.
For Viking archaeology, the stakes are high. If the mound proves to be a ship burial, it would be a rare, elite-style monument more commonly associated with Scandinavia, and it would also revive long-running debates about where major Viking leaders were laid to rest — and how much of that story survives in medieval texts versus the ground itself, explains a BBC News report.
- Ivar the Boneless: Viking Warrior, Ruler and Raider
- Radar Reveals a Rare Viking Ship Burial in a Field of Crops
Reading the sagas: “Coningeshou” and a hidden royal mound
Dickinson’s case begins with manuscripts. While studying an Icelandic saga tradition, he repeatedly encountered the name “Coningeshou”, interpreted as “The King’s Mound,” and argues it aligns with a large, sea-facing mound whose location remains undisclosed to protect the site. The hill, he says, measures roughly 60 meters across and about 6 meters high — the kind of scale that fits monumental burial traditions rather than an ordinary farm mound, reports BBC News.
In Dickinson’s reconstruction, the mound could cover a ship burial, a ritual in which a ruler was placed inside a vessel along with high-status goods, sometimes including weapons, jewelry and even animal offerings, reflecting beliefs about the journey to the afterlife. He describes this worldview as “completely alien to us nowadays,” but central to elite Viking funerary display.
A medieval depiction of Ivar and his brother Ubba in England. (The British Library via BBC)
What the ground is already hinting at
The claim is not based on texts alone. Dickinson says metal detecting in the surrounding area has turned up “very large ship rivets” as well as lead weights consistent with weighing silver linked to a nearby hoard — artefacts that, while not proof of a ship burial, add weight to the idea that substantial Viking-period activity took place along this stretch of coast.
Even more intriguing is the landscape around the mound. Dickinson reports 39 smaller mounds nearby, which he suggests could represent a wider burial complex - perhaps retainers, kin, and warriors forming an “honor guard” around the principal grave. If correct, the area would resemble a Scandinavian-style funerary precinct: a concentrated “Viking necropolis” rather than a single isolated burial.
Dickinson plans to conduct ground scans later this year to test whether the mound contains burial features consistent with a ship setting. But he also cautions that even if a grave is present, identifying the person buried there may be impossible through physical evidence alone, a reminder that legendary names and bones don’t always meet neatly in archaeology writes BBC News.
Metal ship rivets reported from the area near the mound. (Steve Dickinson / BBC)
Why this claim will be tested hard
Ship burials are among the most dramatic expressions of status in the Viking world, but they are also rare and unevenly distributed. Famous examples like Oseberg in Norway show how richly furnished these burials could be, including animals and high-value objects, and how much they can reveal about belief, power, and identity.
At the same time, “Ivarr the Boneless” sits on the border between history and saga. Medieval writers preserve the name, later popular culture amplifies it, and archaeology must work with whatever survives in soil and context. Ancient Origins notes in a previous article how the historical Ivarr is commonly associated with leadership during the Great Heathen Army campaigns, while debates continue about exactly which records refer to which individuals across Ireland and Britain.
For that reason, Dickinson’s proposed scans and any future excavation will likely focus on establishing the simplest question first: is the mound a constructed burial monument, and does it contain a ship-shaped anomaly or grave cut consistent with elite Viking funerary practice? Only then can the bigger, more tantalizing question be responsibly entertained.
Top image: A grassy coastal mound in Cumbria believed by archaeologist Steve Dickinson to be “The King’s Mound,” potentially covering a Viking ship burial. Source: Steve Dickinson / BBC
By Gary Manners
References
Dickinson, S. 2026. Cumbria hill could hold grave of Viking king Ivarr the Boneless. Available at: https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c8rm8g43x40o
Winters, R. 2019. Ivar the Boneless: Viking Warrior, Ruler and Raider. Available at: /history-famous-people/ivar-boneless-viking-warrior-drew-strength-his-weakness-008119
Dwty. 2015. The Oseberg Ship Burial Astounded Archaeologists with Excellent Preservation and Hoard of Artifacts. Available at: /history/oseberg-ship-burial-astounded-archaeologists-excellent-preservation-020298
