From Iceland — More Details Of Medieval Remains Coming To Light

More Details Of Medieval Remains Coming To Light

Published October 11, 2016

Andie Sophia Fontaine
Photo by
Art Bicnick

Bones found at the site of a found Viking sword belonged to a rather tall man in his 30s, who died while still in good health. However, it is considered unlikely that the owner of the bones and the owner of the sword were one and the same person.

RÚV reports that bones and bone fragments found near the site of a 10th century Viking sword have finally dried out. Although these remains include only the left femur and some pieces of finger bones, they do provide some information about the person who once owned them.

“Although I only have the left leg, I can say that this was a man in his 30s,” archaeologist Hildur Gestsdóttir told reporters. “Most likely tall, in comparison to modern man, and large, powerful.”

Some historians have speculated that these are the remains of Hróar Tungugoði, who is featured in many Icelandic sagas, but Hildur says there can never be archaeological evidence to support such a claim. In fact, she considers it unlikely that the sword found near the site belonged to the owner of the bones.

As reported, a group of goose hunters found an almost totally intact sword in south Iceland last month, which has since been dated to the 10th century. Since then, archaeologists have been scouring the site for more clues about the sword and its owner.

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