Most of the artifacts we encounter online and in history books focus on war: swords, shields, helmets, and other artifacts of warfare. Less focus is placed on everyday items, such as, interestingly enough, tweezers. Yet, everyday items offer us a far better glimpse into life in Viking Age Scandinavia than their weapons. The breadth ofContinue reading “10 Viking Artifacts You Didn’t Know Existed”
Category Archives: Vikings
How the longship came to be
The longship was the culmination of centuries of seafaring innovation that is thought to have started as early as the third century B.C.
How Often did the Vikings Drink from Drinking Horns?
How Often did the Vikings Drink from Drinking Horns? I explore this question below.
Viking Armor: What did the Vikings Wear Into Battle?
If modern movies and TV shows were any guides, they would have us believe the Vikings were some kind of leather-clad biker gang. This begs the question: what did the Vikings really wear?
The Swedish Vikings: Who Were the Rus?
Scandinavia at the beginning of the Viking Age appears to have shared a common culture, as shown by the archeological record, but it later diverged into several distinct groups. As I discussed in my previous blog about the difference between the Danish, Norwegian, and Swedish Vikings, we know the most about the Danes and Norwegians becauseContinue reading “The Swedish Vikings: Who Were the Rus?”