Once in the 7th century, a man was buried at Hov gard in Lofoten. The Iron Age man was relatively young. A city between 25 and 35 years old. With him in the grave he had an axe, a comb and two knives. In 2020, the grave was discovered. The archaeologists have now finished analyzing the finds. But there are still many mysteries. One of them is about a tooth. Brought a comb to the grave So who was this man? – We know that he was a young man in his prime when he died. Since he had a spear and an axe, he may have had a warrior responsibility. That’s what archaeologist and project manager Anja Roth Niemi says. It was common at the time that one had to be prepared to go into battle. The upper class in particular was trained in the art of weaponry. Since the man was buried with two axes, two knives and what archaeologists believe was a spear, they believe he has received weapons training and has been part of the upper class. Photo: Archeology at Norway’s Arctic University Museum – He probably belonged to those who lived in the area, says Niemi. But in addition to weapons, the man at Hov had a comb with him in the grave. – Was he also a barber? – Chambers are actually common finds in Viking graves. The image of bearded Vikings probably does not match what reality was like. They were probably a bit preoccupied with the appearance. A comb was also found at the burial site. That, Niemi says, is common to find. The Vikings were probably more concerned with appearance than most people think. Photo: Archeology at Norway’s Arctic University Museum The man had been laid in a pit in the ground, lying on his side with his legs pulled up under him. The archaeologist says that they have seen both people lying on their backs and people lying on their sides in Viking graves. – It could be that it reflects something about the individual who lies in the grave. Anja Roth Niemi helped excavate the man at Hov gard in Lofoten in 2020. Photo: Norwegian Arctic University Museum Now the average height for young Norwegian men is just over 180 cm. This man was between 172 and 178 cm tall. In other words, he would not have been particularly tall by today’s standards. But at this time it was quite high. – You can say that it is a good height, but he was not a towering giant. The tooth mystery – But why did he die? – Much of life has left its mark on the skeleton. One can see small traces of blows and inflammations, but we cannot find out the cause of death just because of the skeleton. – But it can only remain a mystery. He may have had a cold or an infection. In a video from 2021, a UiT expert explains what they could understand from the findings until then. Nevertheless, they can say a lot about the life the man lived from the skeleton. Like people today, he had his everyday things to contend with. This man had a painful fracture in his back. In addition, he had sinusitis. The skeleton is in rare good condition. It is because he is buried in shell sand, which preserves the skeleton very well, explains Niemi. Photo: Archeology at Norway’s Arctic University Museum – We could see traces that he did not have as much prosperity when he grew up on the skeleton. It is not unreasonable to think that some years there was less food, or that he was a little sick. In addition, archaeologists know that he used his right arm a lot. In a kind of rotation pile. – We don’t know exactly what it could be. But it may appear to be a type of throwing. Perhaps he was particularly keen on ax throwing? Or javelin throwing? In addition, there is one thing that the researchers have wondered about. The man had beautiful teeth, but one tooth was missing. The researchers believe they found it close to the man’s hip. Photo: Archeology at Norway’s Arctic University Museum A few years before the man died, he lost a tooth. A matching tooth was found near the lower body. – Did he take care of the tooth and carry it with him? – We have information that they took care of teeth in the Late Iron Age. For example baby teeth. One carried them with them as an amulet or lucky charm, says the archaeologist. – In a grave from 1998, we also found a tooth. It may have been a local tradition to carry an extra tooth with you. A piece in a puzzle At Hov in Lofoten, there are several things that indicate that the town was important in the Iron Age. Namely, several burial mounds have been found in the area. It may simply appear that the town was a small center at the time. 1 In 1998, another grave was found about 70 meters away from the grave of this man. It also contained a relatively young man who had been buried in a similar way with similar grave goods. Photo: Anja Roth Niemi / Norway’s Arctic University Museum – Hov was one of the large gardens that was owned by a local upper class. The reason why the man was found in 2020 was that they had planned a new campsite on the site. The archaeologist hopes others are just as good at reporting if they find graves or other old finds. – This is just one piece in a big puzzle. Each piece gives a more accurate picture of the whole. – Northern Norway is growing at this time. You get a clear establishment of aristocracy and trade that you see further in the Viking Age, says Niemi. Nett for Hov refers to a long continuity where it has served people for several hundred years. Niemi calls the find a common heritage for us all.
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Skeleton discovery at Hov on Gimsøy in Lofoten – new analyzes provide more answers – news Nordland
