Pregnant women wielding swords and wearing martial helmets, foetuses set to avenge their fathers — and a harsh world where not all newborns were born free or given burial. These are some of the ...

What it tells us about the past: This cast silver figurine of a Valkyrie — a mythological maiden who assists Odin, the Norse god of war — is a unique example of Viking Age metalworking that provides ...

“Bellyfull.” “Unlight.” “A woman walking not alone.” These are all terms once used to describe pregnancy in the Viking Age, which has been a long-neglected subject in the study of Viking history. Now, ...

The Vikings may have earned a reputation for being fearsome warriors—but even they appear to have had a soft spot for their pets. Archaeologists in Norway recently discovered the 1,000-year-old grave ...

The ninth-century burial site was excavated in Bjugn, located in the coast region of Trøndelag, Norway, by a team of experts after it was first discovered by metal detectorist Roy Søreng. Within the ...

Archaeologists uncover a Viking grave with jewelry in Norway, revealing rare artifacts, and a well‑preserved skeleton.

Marianne Hem Eriksen leads the BODY-POLITICS project, funded by the European Research Council (ERC) under the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme (grant agreement no.

This round, silver pendant was found in a 10th-century elite woman's burial in Sweden in 1920 and is the only known depiction of a pregnant Viking. The artifact, known as the Ash Pendant, is in the ...

Despite its central role in human history, pregnancy has often been overlooked in archaeology. When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. Here’s how it works.

The discovery challenges previously held beliefs of pre-Christian burials. A ninth-century Viking woman’s grave discovered in Norway with scallop shells around her mouth. It's "a practice that is not ...