Archaeologists from Arkeologerna have discovered two Viking-era swords during excavations in Västmanland, outside Köping, Sweden.
The swords were discovered during archaeological investigation of a late Iron Age cemetery, dating from approximately 600 to 1000 AD.
The site contains 100 tombs and two tumuli, with evidence of further funerary activity indicated by the discovery of three stone tombs added centuries later to one of the mounds.
Excavations of one of the tombs revealed a large cache of glass beads, while in the middle of the other two tombs, archaeologists found two Viking-era swords that had been placed upright in a shallow spot.
In total, about 20 swords from the Viking era have been found in the Västmanland area; However, this is the first time that two swords have been found in the same cemetery and left intact.
Speaking about the discovery, Anton Seiler of Arkeologerna, suggests that the swords could have been placed on the mound to honor and remember relatives, being a physical marker that family members could visit and touch 1,200 years ago.
The excavations also found cremated human remains and animal bones, as well as a game piece and parts of a bear comb and claws. Evidence of previous occupation has also been identified, with archaeological remains of agricultural exploitation dating back to the Bronze Age or before the Iron Age.
It is yet to be determined why several people were buried in the mound centuries later, or to determine their gender; However, it is hoped that the remains sent for osteological analysis will provide more answers to researchers.
Archeologerna
