Viking-era burial site with elite family treasures and gifts discovered, plus an 'unusual casket'
The discovery was announced by Moesgaard Museum (MOMU), a regional Danish museum, in a June statement.
The graveyard was found in the village of Lisbjerg, located north of the major Danish city of Aarhus.
Archaeologists found 30 graves containing a vast number of burial gifts, including beads and coins.
Ceramics were also found at the site, along with gold thread, scissors and "an unusual casket with beads," officials said.
The site also retained the bones and teeth of the deceased.
In a statement translated from Danish to English, officials noted the graves "contain a number of spectacular items that may indicate connections to the Danish royal power."
They added, "Aarhus was one of Denmark's most important and oldest cities during the Viking era, serving as a center for the king and international trade … Aros and Lisbjerg were closely connected by the old main road, which ran from the Viking city to the manor."
One discovery of particular interest was a silver-plated oak casket that likely belonged to a high-status woman.
"Together, [the finds] paint a picture of an aristocratic environment linked to royal power, which was part of the Vikings' extensive and dynamic world."
The grave contained a brooch, needle and a filigree bead, made by twisting fine threads of metal into ornate designs.
Mads Ravn, head of local cultural heritage at MOMU, said the grave site is "very likely" connected to a Viking-era manor less than a mile away.
He noted, "The items we have found in the graves tell us that those buried were people of high status – it could be the very family from the manor that is buried here."
Kasper H. Andersen, a historian at MOMU, said the recent finds are "part of a series of previous remarkable discoveries in the Aarhus area."
He added, "Together, they paint a picture of an aristocratic environment linked to royal power, which was part of the Vikings' extensive and dynamic world."
The Viking Age lasted from roughly 800 A.D. to 1050 A.D.
Artifacts from that era continue to be discovered throughout Europe by archaeologists and hobbyists alike.
In April, Swedish archaeologists announced the discovery of an "unusual" Viking-era coffin.
Before that, two curious metal detectorists found a 1,000-year-old Viking "wallet" last year.
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