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Scandinavia

Did drugs fuel Viking social gatherings and make them formidable and fearless warriors? Source: ContentHub / Adobe Stock.

Viking Drug Use: From Riotous Parties to Berserker Fury

The Vikings stand as legendary figures, their exploits on the seas and battlefields shrouded in myth and mystery. Yet beyond their tales of conquest and exploration lies a lesser-known aspect of...
Burial of tall medieval man with longsword in Sweden.          Source: Kulturmiljö Halland

Huge 500-Year-Old Longsword Recovered from Medieval Grave on Swedish Coast

Researchers digging at the Lilla Torg site in the western Swedish port city of Halmstad unearthed something extraordinarily rare. While excavating a grave in a medieval era cemetery, archaeologists...
New excavations of the 1,300-year-old pre-Viking ship burial, referred to as Herlaugshaugen. Source: Hanne Bryn / NTNU Science Museum

1,300-Year-Old Pre-Viking Ship Burial Rewrites History

The identification of a pre-Viking ship burial unearthed in Norway is helping rewrite history. A previously excavated mound, containing remnants of the oldest large ship ever buried, on the island of...

Decoding Viking Origins: Genetic Clues Paint a New Picture (Video)

The word " Viking " evokes vivid images of mighty, fair-haired seafarers pillaging coastal settlements. Yet is this portrayal an accurate reflection of their genetic makeup? Groundbreaking...
January 14th, the day after St Knut’s Day, in Stockholm, Sweden is when everyone tosses out the Christmas tree but only after a good party the day before! Source: Swedense

St Knut’s Day: Jan 13 - The Scandinavian Fun Finale To Christmas!

Every culture has its own unique holidays and traditions, but one of the most interesting cultural holidays is St Knut’s Day. St Knut’s Day, also known as the Feast of St Knut, is a traditional...
Underwater Kronan excavations that were one of the sources of ancient Scandinavian genes in the study. Source: Lars Einarsson/Cell Press

Irresistible Vikings? Charting Sex Bias and Gene Flows Into Ancient Scandinavia

A team of genetic scientists from Sweden turned their scanners on Viking DNA samples. They have now charted the “genetic flow” of ancient Scandinavia showing that incomers genetics didn’t fare so...
The Kalmar sword in situ where it was found. The tip is broken. Maybe in connection with battle? Source: Arkeologerna

This Rare Battle-Sword Just Found in Sweden Is “An Evolutionary Leap”

Researchers in Sweden were excavating a 400-year-old cellar floor when they came across this “rare” battle-sword from the Military Revolution. Archaeologists from Arkeologerna were digging at the...
Viking woman enjoying daily pastoral life on the homestead.             Source: selenit / Adobe Stock

Everyday Viking Life: More Farmers Than Fighters

The Vikings, the seafaring Norse pirates and traders from the Scandinavian region, left an indelible mark on history, particularly European history, as they raided, looted, pillaged, and conquered...
Viking sword in a Norse landscape…or is it? 	Source: James Thew / Adobe Stock

What’s a Viking Sword? What’s not? The Distinctions of Norse Weaponry

A scourge of early medieval Europe, the Vikings were a fearsome group. The very thought of a Viking sword slashing before you conjures images of fearless warriors raiding and pillaging villages,...
The wooden snake staff was discovered in south-west Finland. Source: Satu Koivisto/Antiquity Publications Ltd

Discovery of Snake Staff Leaves Archaeologist “Utterly Speechless”

While excavating a site in southwest Finland , archaeologists came across something extraordinary. Hidden in the muddy soil in the wetland site of Järvensuo-I they unearthed a delicately carved snake...
Ole Worm Illustrations Identify New Ship Burials at Danish Site

Ole Worm Illustrations Identify New Ship Burials at Danish Site

Archaeologists from Flinders University in Australia working on a Danish ship burial site on the ex-Viking island of Hjarnø , in modern-day Denmark , have created quite a stir in the field of history...
Bronze Age Treasure Accidentally Found in Swedish Forest

Bronze Age Treasure Accidentally Found in Swedish Forest

The Nordic or Scandinavian Bronze Age lasted from 1700-500 BC – ancient prehistory – with major metallurgical influences from Central Europe. The people from the Nordic Bronze Age were adept metal...
Saxo Grammaticus: Warrior Historian of the Danes and a Medieval Influencer

Saxo Grammaticus: Warrior Historian of the Danes and a Medieval Influencer

Saxo Grammaticus was a Danish historian whose writings were instrumental for the preservation of the ancient history of the Danes and their nations. Considered to be one of the major historical...
The mummified remains of the 17th-century bishop, Peder Winstrup. A fetus was also in the bishop's coffin.

Mystery of the Fetus Found in a Bishop’s Coffin Solved!

Researchers at Lund University hospital were in for a surprise when they conducted a CT scan of a mummified Scandinavian bishop and spotted the remains of a tiny fetus tucked under the bishop’s feet...
The word 'happy' has Old Norse origins

Talk Like a Viking! 10 Everyday English Words with Old Norse Origins

Did you know that many words we use today such as “husband,” “happy,” and “egg” are of Old Norse origin? No? Well, this isn’t surprising, as in the minds of many people the Vikings were nothing but a...
Of Runes And Sacrifice: The Initiation Ritual Of Odin in Norse Myth

Of Runes And Sacrifice: The Initiation Ritual Of Odin in Norse Myth

The total of the poetic, mythological and sapiential heritage of the ancient and early medieval Scandinavian tradition is contained in the texts canonically collected under the title of Edda . Within...
Ground-Penetrating Radar Locates Massive Viking Burial Mounds in Norway

Ground-Penetrating Radar Locates Massive Viking Burial Mounds in Norway

An extensive survey using ground penetrating radar in northern Norway has revealed the presence of 15 gigantic Viking burial mounds , along with other measurable remains of ongoing human activity...
Danish Warship Sunk in Famous 17th Century Battle Discovered

Danish Warship Sunk in Famous 17th Century Battle Discovered

Marine archaeologists are bringing many shipwrecks to light and changing our view of the past. In the Baltic Sea , off the coast of Denmark , divers have found the wreck of the Delmenhorst, a famous...
Genes of the Vikings traced across Europe.    Source: Nejron Photo / Adobe Stock

Tracking the Genetic Fingerprints of the Viking Woman Hunters

Scientists have tracked ancient Viking genes across Europe further detailing the cultural, political and economic impact of the legendary raiders and traders of the Middle Ages. The Germanic Iron Age...
Buried in silt in the hull of the Gribshunden shipwreck, archaeologists have now discovered a barrel containing the skeleton of what appears to be an ancient sea monster measuring two meters long. Source: Reuseableart

The Ancient Sea Monster Discovered in The Hull of King’s Ship

During the summer solstice of 1495 AD, the royal flagship Gribshunden of the Danish King Hans, also known as King John of Denmark, sank when sailing from Copenhagen to Kalmar, Sweden , where it was...
Little is known about the Neolithic Age Battle Axe culture, but archaeologists and scholars continue to apply new technologies to piece together a more complete picture. (Image, Stone Axes in Turov Local History Museum).        Source: Grigory Bruev

The Battle Axe Culture: Piecing Together the Age of Crushed Skulls

Peering into the development stages of the Neolithic cultures of Old Europe has always been a challenging task for archaeologists and scholars. Reaching so far back into time in the hope of piecing...
Vikings are most often remembered as warriors. Source: Nejron Photo /Adobe Stock

History of the Vikings: All You Need to Know

Vikings are more popular than ever. With dramas such as Vikings and The Last Kingdom the ancient Norsemen have reached new generations. Of course, there is dramatic license taken to particular...
A man of the Pitted Ware Culture in the tomb field of Ajvide in Gotland represents a typical burial. Source: Åsa Malmberg, (Uppsala University)

Mystery of Sweden’s Stone Age Cultures Unraveled with Genetics

Scientists in Sweden have completed a multidisciplinary genetic and archaeological study that provides clarity to the mysterious cross-cultural influences found in the grave sites of Stone Age...
The Norse God Loki

The Enigmatic Loki, A Trickster Among Gods in Norse Mythology

The trickster god Loki is undoubtedly the most debated figure from Norse mythology to this day. Though he appears to be a scheming, mischievous deity who has no real loyalties, scholars still explore...

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