New video offers a peek into Lake Mjøsa shipwreck
The discovery of what may be Mjøsa’s oldest known shipwreck to date drew international attention just before last Christmas. The researchers have now secured a video of “Storfjorden I.”
Archaeology
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Norway got back on its feet quickly after the war
The conventional view has been that after the Second World War, Norway was impoverished and plundered, but the recovery actually went quite quickly. All the infrastructure that the occupying power built during the war played a significant role.
Viking Age silver treasure found in Stjørdal municipality
An exceptional find, says archaeologist Birgit Maixner at the NTNU University Museum.
Old Norse settlers traded walrus ivory with Kyiv
Norse settlers in Greenland exported walrus tusk ivory to Eastern Europe in the Middle Ages.
Climate change reveals unique artefacts in melting ice patches
Norwegian mountains are full of time capsules. Thousands of years of human and ecological history are preserved in remnant patches of ice. Now this treasure trove of information threatens to melt away, unless we take action.
What medieval skeletons tell us about modern day pandemics
The coronavirus pandemic has made the whole world more aware of what diseases can do to a society. Now, archaeologists and biologists who are studying medieval pandemics, like the Black Death, are learning lessons about the past that may help us in the future.
You’re looking at one of the oldest pieces of cloth in the world
What did people make clothes from in the Neolithic? Çatalhöyük, the world’s largest known Stone Age settlement, gives us answers after 60 years of debate.
Unique Viking textiles found in woman’s grave
“Finding embroidered textiles from the Viking Age is so unusual that you almost can’t believe it’s true,” says archaeologist Ruth Iren Øien at the NTNU University Museum.
Warriors’ down bedding could ease journey to realm of the dead
This may well be the most interesting story about pillows and bedding you will ever read.
Viking raiders stole this box. But the real surprise is what they did with it.
What a mound of sand, some leftover nails and the box itself tell us about the Viking raiders who stole it — and what they did with it when they brought it back to Norway.
Special Viking grave found in Central Norway
She was placed in a burial chamber and took several hundred miniature beads with her on her last journey. Who was the woman who was buried by Valsøyfjord over 1000 years ago?
Viking sword found in grave in central Norway
It has been more than a thousand years since anyone held this sword. But why was it placed on the left side of the grave?
Finding 1154 holes in the ground – and a riddle
The story of the cooking pits of yore has made one archaeologist feel – at least a litte bit – like Indiana Jones.
Place names describe Scandinavia in the Iron and Viking Ages
Every now and then, researchers are lucky enough to experience a Eureka moment — when a series of facts suddenly crystallize into a an entirely new pattern. That’s exactly what happened to Birgit Maixner from the NTNU University Museum when she began looking at artefacts and place names.
Mysterious Viking boat graves unearthed in central Norway
Two people died roughly 100 years apart. Nevertheless, they were buried together. In boats.
Stave churches in Norway older than previously believed
A newer method of measurement has helped scientists date some stave churches more accurately than in the past. The method shows that several stave churches are older than the dates previously attributed to them.
Viking Age mortuary house found in central Norway
“A very rare and exciting find,” says NTNU University Museum archaeologist Raymond Sauvage.
Roman bronze cauldron unearthed in central Norway burial cairn
“Vessels like these were imported from the Roman Empire and confirm that this was an area of status and wealth during Roman times,” says archaeologist Merete Moe Henriksen.
Uncertain future for rock art in Norway
Regular protective treatment of rock carvings and paintings has done a good job protecting this important part of Norway’s cultural heritage. But according to the current schedule, the unique programme will end next year.
What do the animals in stave church ornamentation signify?
The richly decorated portal at Urnes stave church has often been interpreted in light of paganism. That’s wrong, according to a new stave church study.
Toss it if it’s 481 years old – but not if it’s a year older
Norway conserves archaeological finds from 1537, but not when they’re from 1538 or later. That means we know less about people’s everyday lives during the last 481 years.
Finn-Kirsten Iversdatter: Norway’s Forgotten Witch
Finn-Kirsten Iversdatter was the last person to be executed for witchcraft in Central Norway, but her story was mostly forgotten. Until now.
Do archaeologists have to dig to uncover the mysteries of the past?
Which method works best for archaeologists when surveying an area? In the case of a recent archaeological survey in Halden municipality, georadar turned out to be good enough to discover a Viking ship.
Viking house remains found along planned E6 road route
Archaeologists at NTNU have discovered the remains of a Viking house from the early Middle Ages. It is a “very rare find,” says project manager Merete Moe Henriksen.