The man from Voll

An example of a well-preserved Norwegian male grave

Tomáš Vlasatý, Marobud, 2017

Fig. 1 : Drawn reconstruction of a man from between 850–950 AD.

Based on graves from central Norway, including the grave from Voll.
Taken from Hjardar – Vike 2011: 47.
 "Egill ordered to raise a mound on the point of the ness.
Skallagrímr was put inside, with his horse, his weapons,
and his smithy tools. It is not told that any valuables
were laid in the mound beside him."
The Saga of Egill Skallagrímsson, ch. 60
Norway is known for its
abundance of Viking Age mounds that
contain rich grave goods. Literally
thousands of swords and oval brooches
deposited in graves give evidence to just
how important expensive objects and
symbols of power were, during the
centralisation of the country. Even
though we can guess the status of a
deceased persons, graves are mostly
incomplete. In this short article, I will
provide a summary of the rich and well-
preserved content of the inhumation
mound from Voll, Overhalla municipality,
Fig. 2 : The position of Nord-Trøndelag and Overhalla within Norway.
Nord-Trøndelag county, Norway.1 My goal
is also to point to some analogies to show the extent of the preserved organic material, and
therefore some patterns in Norwegian burial customs and maybe even everyday life. This work is
supplemented with an abundant catalogue and short reports about the making of spear sheath
replicas and a cross-shaped dress pin recreation.
In 1873, a teacher and later a politician H. K. Foosnæs and a landowner O. P. Voll opened
three mounds that stood in a row close to each other. The mound II is said to have the diameter of
ca. 12 meters. Inside the mound, there was a chamber made of stone slabs that was covered with
one huge slab 2 meters long and 70 cm wide. The chamber had no stone bottom, but the finder
said that it was filled with a wooden coffin. A skeleton - mainly preserved skull, a femur and some
other bone fragments - laid inside in a supine position in the N-S orientation, with the skull
heading to the south. Even though there are thousands of mounds in Norway and a broad variety
of local variants, the given combination is rather atypic or even rare. While variously done
cremations are the most prevalent Norwegian graves, quite uniform inhumations are still very
common. According to Shetelig, features like the stone chamber and the skull heading to the south
were atypic when compared to general Norwegian perspective (Shetelig 1912: 230–231), but at
least the use of stone chambers in the N-S orientation seems to be more common and traditional
in stony Trøndelag (for graves in Overhalla municipality, see Groven 1999). Unfortunately, the
bones are no longer available.
Over the right shoulder of the deceased, there was placed a great iron spearhead (T1197;
Figs. 35–36).2 The spearhead is slender and has a long, partially preserved socket; it probably
1 The grave from Voll, also spelled as Vold, was described in Norwegian literature several times, but never in English.
The most important pieces of information come from the annual museum report, that was published in AB 1874
(pp. 41–45, Pl. VII, VIII). The second publication dates to 1879, when Karl Rygh wrote his article about old finds
from Nord-Trøndelag (Rygh 1879: 79–80). In 1951, Petersen included some artefacts from the grave into his book
about Viking Age tools (Petersen 1951). The grave was also described several times in works of Sandnes and Groven
(Sandnes 1965: 196–197; Groven 1968: 54–57; 1999: 98–101).
2 I use a lot of of inventory signs in this article. Signs like T1197, C4232 or B6727 refer to the united catalogue system
of Norwegian museums. The letter B marks finds stored in Universitetsmuseet (UM) in Bergen, the letter C denote
finds from Kulturhistorisk museum (KHM) in Oslo, objects with the letter S are deposited in Arkeologisk museum in
Stavanger, the letter T suggests objects that are placed in Vitenskapsmuseet in Trondheim and the letters Ts show
objects can be found in Tromsø Museum. Inventory signs can be easily checked via portal UNIMUS (unimus.no).
belonged to Petersen type M or K. The blade is around 34 cm (13″) long and 5 cm (2″) wide. 3 A
larger piece of the wooden shaft is preserved in the socket. The blade and a part of socket are
covered with a wooden sheath that is wrapped with narrow strips of birch bark. Early medieval
spear sheaths from Europe are very rare; not counting two examples from Voll, I am aware only of
three other finds.4 Two of them come the same part of Norway, in graves from Horstad (T16368)
and Valøen (T17487). The spear from Horstad resembles Vendel Period spears and the blade is
covered with wooden fragments of what could be a sheath. The sheathed spear from Valøen
belongs to Petersen typ K and it survived in several fragments. The third example was found in Oise
River, France, in 2012.5 The spear that belongs to typical Frankish spears of the late 8th – early 10th
century has the blade covered with wooden fragments and the tip protected with a metal chape.
The spear sheath from Voll is the best preserved piece.
A sword (T1196; Figs. 33–34) lay by the right side of the body. At the time of publication,
the sword was almost complete; the tip was broken off and the pommel was missing. In such a
state, the blade is said to be around 76 cm long and 6.5 cm wide by the lower guard. The distance
between hilts was around 9 cm (3 1/2") long, but there was no trace of handle that was probably
made of wood. Both tang and blade are rather broad. On the blade, there were found fragments of
wooden scabbard. The scabbard was covered in an unspecified fabric. Both upper and lower
guards are slightly concave and decorated with ornaments made of a bright metal, possibly silver.
Today, only the hilt and a fragment of the blade are preserved. Judging by the shape, thickness and
and the interlace decoration of the guards, it can be guessed that the sword represents a variant of
Petersen type O or R. Both types are well attested in Norwegian graves (see Petersen 1919).
By the end of the blade, a pin was found (T1195; Fig. 32). The pin is made of silver wire,
twisted into the shape of Latin cross. It is long some 12 cm. As is known, just 8 pins of this shape
have been found in Norway (Petersen 1928: 190–192). Five of them were made of silver, two of
iron and one of bronze.6 Furthermore, 10 similarly shaped pincettes and pendants were found in
Scandinavia and Great Britain, corresponding to Staecker's cross type 1.3 (Staecker 1999: 105–107,
556).
A whetstone was situated below the end of the blade (T1207; Fig. 46). The whetstone of a
roughly square cross-section is around 43 cm long. The whetstone seems to belong to the "heavier
type", described by Petersen as "a schist whetstone of the length of ca. 33 –55 cm and the width of
2.7–5 cm" (Petersen 1951: 254). It seems that the broken lower end had a loop. Petersen states
that "male graves" contain seven times more whetstones than "female graves" (Petersen 1951:
251).7
Just next to the pin, fragments of wooden boards were found (T1186; Figs. 16–17). Boards
seemed to be slightly concave and evenly cut. The finder interpreted this find as a backpack, in
which were stored items such as a drinking horn, trading equipment placed in a leather bag, a

3 In this article, I sometimes refer to inches. If I do so, it is because of the old Norwegian measuring system, that was
replaced by the metric system in 1875. That means that the report gives the data in ells (627.48 mm), inches (26.1
mm) and lines (2.18 mm) and I was forced to recalculate the numbers in some cases. Other sizes were checked by
later literature or by comparing to photos that include a ruler.
4 However, I know several older examples from Russia that could be dated to 5th–1th century BC. One of them,
probably made of wood or bark, belongs to the Sarmatian culture (5th–4th century BC), while the other one - only
a bronze chape - was found in the mound of Andreevka, Mordovia (2nd–1st century BC; personal communication
with Sergei Kainov). I owe my thanks to Are Pedersen, who pointed me to these finds.
5 I would like to express my thanks to Gvido Libmanis, who pointed me to the find.
6 In this work, I use the term "bronze", even though "copper alloy" would be more suitable.
7 In this article, I use terms like "male graves" and "female graves". In most cases, grave goods are the only way how
the judge the sex of a dead person. As the result, graves with weapons, riding gear and blacksmith tools are signed
as male graves, while graves with brooches, weaving tools and larger numbers of beads are said to be female
graves. Even though we can see patterns in inventories, there is no scientific tool that could prove our
presumptions with absolute certainty in every single case.
comb, a knife, an awl, a part of unknown wooden tool and a smaller whetstone. Another similar
find - a backpack formed by two well-preserved wooden boards - was discovered in the famous
grave in Gokstad, Norway (Hinsch 1958). Paired holes in the bottom board of the backpack from
Gokstad suggest that the body of the backpack was probably made of osier rods.
The drinking horn (T1184; Figs. 12–13) is almost complete, only a middle part is missing.
The mouth was 6.5 cm in diameter and it is decorated with a circular mount that is made of a
simple bronze plate. There are two bronze eyelets riveted to the body of the horn, probably for a
chain or a band. The horn has a beast head terminal that is 6 cm long. Petersen gathered two
dozen of horns from Norwegian graves, evenly distributed among "male graves" and "female
graves" (Petersen 1951: 396–400). Five of them show no bronze decoration. At the present time,
there are at least nine other beast head terminals in Norway (ibid. and personal research of newer
finds). They usually resemble birds, snakes or dragons. The closest analogy is a stray find from
Varøy, Nord-Trøndelag (T6373). Because of their decoration, beast head terminals are interpreted
as Insular imports (for more, see Heen-Pettersen 2014). It has to be stated that Insular drinking
horns have been found primarily in "female graves" dated to the 9th century (Heen-Pettersen
2014).8
Another very interesting find is the trading equipment (T1187; Figs. 18–21). There are a
pair of bronze scales that have ca. 6.7 cm in diameter (2" 7') and they are 2.5 cm deep. On the
inner sides, scales are decorated with three or four tiny lines, while there are usual bands of
checkered squares on the outer sides. On the edges of scales, there are four small holes on
opposite sides. Due to very fine wires that passed through the holes, the scales were attached to
rings fixed in the ends of arms of the beam balance. The folding arms of a round cross-section
were found in the lifted position. From the center of the beam, an upright tapering protrusion, a
handle made of iron, sticks up. A weight of the type R478, made of iron covered with a bronze
shell, belongs to the set. The weight is around 2 cm in diameter and has flattened poles. The
decorated top shows traces of rusted iron, a part of a knife. Three pieces of bone were found there
as well. Instead of a metal case, that we know from at least seven Norwegian graves, 9 the set was
firstly put into a leather bag with a drawstring, and secondly placed in a bag made of probably
reindeer hide. The closest analogy of this bag was found in the grave from Fjære (C8283); the
beam balance, scales and a weight were placed into a bag from thick leather, that was wrapped in
hide and maybe even birch bark. Another similar find comes from the grave from Hoven (T8270),
where a balance beam and a scale were found in a bag made of hide. It is very probable that scales
from the mound of Bringsverd (C23116) were stored in a case made of birch bark (Rolfsen 1981:
117). Two graves from Langeid contained scales wrapped in fabrics and stored in hide bags, while
scales from the third grave were kept in a vessel that had a wooden bottom and a decorated lid
made of birch bark (Wenn et al. 2016: 172). In addition, it is believed that perfectly preserved
scales from Lø (T22798) were stored in a small wooden box (Grav Ellingsen–Grønnesby 2012: 21)
and scales from Bjørnes (T1292) were protected with a textile pouch. Similar containers are known
also from other places of Viking Age Scandinavia and Anglo-Saxon England (for England, see Scull
et al.1992). For example, a collection consisting of a balance beam, a pair of scales, 26 weigths and
an amber bead was found in Häffinds, Gotland (Thunmark-Nylén 2006: 339). The collection was
deposited in a leather bag; the balance beam was wrapped in a piece of cloth that was stored
between the scales. I can also mention several Norwegian purses and pouches. A small, four-
pieced pouch was found in the grave from Bringsverd (C23116) and it contained six weights, a
silver coin and a plum stone (Rolfsen 1981: 117). Another mound from Bringsverd contained a
pouch (C7841–42), where two weigths and a flintstone were stored, wrapped in birch bark (Preus

8 Even though these horns seem to be imported objects, their number testify their prestigious and widely accepted
position among Norwegian local elites. Trøndelag is especially rich in horns.
9 Dolven (C5046), Glappestad (B4844), Jåtten (B4772) Kaupang (C4232, C4240), Storborg (T266) and Tønnøl (T1047).
Schou 2007: 30). Even though it is dated to the late 5th century, a small purse that contained seven
weights was found in the grave from Evebø (B4590). A leather pouch with a coin was found in the
"man's grave" K/1952 gr. I in Kaupang (C57009). The famous purse from Gokstad (C10460) could
have the same function (Nicolaysen 1882: 47, Pl. IX:3,4,5). In addition, a pouch made of linen was
found in Jåtten (B4772) and it contained eight weights.
The comb was found in several fragments (T1189; Figs. 24 –25). The report says the comb is
made of bone; but the use of bone for combs is rather unlikely in Norway and older Scandinavian
literature has labelled antler as bone very often. According to the original description, the comb
was around 10.5 cm (4") long, but Petersen states that the comb is 13.5 cm long (Petersen 1951:
488). The connecting plates were around 9–13 mm (1/3–1/2") wide. The original report informs
that the plates are connected with at least five iron rivets that have bronze heads, but iron-bronze
composite rivets or iron rivets capped with bronze are very improbable (personal communication
with David Constantine). Photos show traces of verdigris, and therefore the idea of entirely bronze
rivets, or even the combination of bronze and iron rivets, is much more credible. Only one
complete tooth survived, but it is sure that teeth were around 2 cm long. The connecting plates are
edged with two lines and decorated with central braided ornaments and six pair of vertical lines.
The closest analogy I am aware comes from the grave Bj 944 in Birka, that belongs to Ambrosiani's
'B1:1' type (Ambrosiani 1981: 65, Tab. 3) or to broader Ashby's "Type 5" (Ashby 2011). Another
combs with the same combinations of motives were found in York and Haithabu (MacGregor 1985:
88–89, Fig. 50c,g; Tempel 1970: 41–42, Abb. 4). Compared to aforementioned analogies, the comb
from Voll is rather short, as complete examples are generally over 18 cm long. Combs from Viking
Age Norway are 8–36 cm long, with the average of 15–24 cm (Petersen 1951: 488). Anglo-Saxon
and Viking Age combs were sometimes covered with sheaths made of antler, bone, leather or the
combination of wood and leather, in order to minimise the risk of damage to the teeth
(MacGregor 1985: 96).
Another object was the iron knife (T1201; Fig. 40). The blade is ca. 15.5 cm (6") long,
broken near the tip. The tang, that is ca. 9 cm long, was covered with fragments of the wooden
handle. As mentioned above, the blade was partially rusted to the weight. Petersen states that
there were 1192 knives, taking in account that "male graves" contain three times more knives
"female graves" (Petersen 1951: 200). The fact that there are no traces of sheath is suprising in this
grave. Both leather and wooden knife sheaths are known from Norway (personal research).
The iron awl (T1188; Figs. 22–23) had ca. 3.3 cm long spike and 6.5 cm long tang, equipped
with a wooden handle. The spike is protected with a wooden cap. Petersen wrote there were 37
Viking Age awls in Norway in 1951 (Petersen 1951: 232–235). In "male graves", there are two times
more awls than in "female graves". In total, there are at least 11 Norwegians awls with completely
or partially preserved wooden handles. Caps are rare finds; the closest analogy I know is an awl
with a wooden sheath (C7839) that was found in a mound in Bringsverd (Preus Schou 2007: 30).
Another known find is the awl from the grave Bj 924 from Birka (Arbman 1940: 360–361; Abb.
314); it has an antler handle, to which an antler cap fastened with a string. There is at least one
Norwegian wooden cap dated to Migration Period (B6727).
The part of an unknown fragmentary tool, that was made of wood, is around 9 cm long
(T1190; Fig. 26). One fragment shows a wooden wedge. From the picture, one can guess that the
object is around 2 cm in diameter and it resembles a shaft of an axe-like or a hammer-like artefact.
Several other wooden wedges were found in Norway, mainly from axes - for example in graves
from Rossebø (B4385), Valstad (T19811) or possibly Hallingby (C25583).
The shorter whetstone (T1208; Fig. 47) seems to be made of schist as well. It also has
roughly square cross-section and is around 14 cm long. The set of whetstones proves that the
combination of a coarser stone for the initial grinding and a finer one for the finishing was
preffered in some burial deposites (Resi 1985: 98; Sundbergh - Arwidsson 1989: 108).
 Next to the backpack, there was located another cluster of objects. Shears were first of
them (T1200; Fig. 39). Being probably longer than 38 cm, shears from Voll are the longest example
found in Viking Age Norway, together with 38 cm long shears from the grave from Rustand (C589).
The eye of shears, that is formed by ca. 2.5 cm (1") plate, was around 8 cm (3") in diameter. The
eye and arms are 26 cm long. Blades are at least 12 cm long and partially rusted. The shears were
protected by a sheath that was made of wood and leather and decorated with a thin bronze plate.
Documented shears from Viking Age Norway are 10.7–38 cm long, with the most common length
being 19–25 cm. Petersen states nearly 59% of shears from graves come from "male graves"; the
most of above-average long shears were also found in "male graves" (Petersen 1951: 312–319).
Shears sheaths are very rare objects. I am aware of only one leather example from Viking Age
Norway, that comes from the mound from Bringsverd (C7845; Preus Schou 2007: 30). Another
possible fragmented example of a wooden sheath was found in the grave of Frøyland (S12295). A
very nice example of a wooden case was found in Fyrkat, Denmark (Roesdahl 1977: 97, Fig. 135).
Seven more sheaths from Migration Period Norway, of which six are made of wood and one
(S2616) is made of leather.10
Near to shears, a shorter rusted and fragmented spearhead lay (T1198; Fig. 37). In the
socket, a larger part of the shaft, that is around 2.5 cm in diameter, is preserved. The original
report suggests that the second sheath made of wood and birch bark (T1209; Fig. 48) belonged to
this spear.11
Another part of the cluster was a knife-like object (T1202; Fig. 41). The blade is ca. 8 cm
long; while the wooden handle is around 10.5 cm (4") long. The tang goes through the entire
handle. The handle has a round cross-section and its inner end is bevelled, similarly to the handle
of the knife from Oseberg (C55000:119). The shape of the blade cannot be guessed, since many
objects are rusted to the surface.
An extraordinary bowl was placed just above shears and the shorter spear (T1185; Figs.
14–15). The bowl is heavily destroyed and was probably damaged when the mound was opened,
but the shape still can be guessed. It was nearly round, with the widest diameter near to 18.2 cm
(7"). The inner space was separated with a crosspiece. The rim was decorated with two zigzag lines
and a central straight line. What makes the bowl special is the fact that it was made of birch
polypore (probably Piptoporus betulinus). According to mine best knowledge, there is no analogy
to this find in the Viking Age Scandinavia. As may be observed below, there are some finds of
wooden dishes in Norwegian graves, but none of them were made of this particular material. Not
only fungi can easily be accessed and machined, but it could also bear a symbolic meaning. Birch
polypore is usually used for its medical effects as a laxative and an antibiotic. For instance, with the
highest likelihood, Ötzi the Iceman used birch polypore as a medicine against his intestinal
parasites (Capasso 1998).
A cluster of fabric, fur and clay materials laid by the bowl (T1194; Figs. 30–31).
Unfortunately, no further description is given. Based on the pictures, I can say that the fabric
seems to be woven in the plain weave. 12 Fragments of fur could be similar to the bag fragments
10 Eidem (T8589), Grindheim (S2616), Skjelde (B5407), Skjold (B9123), Syltebøen (T7393), Ugulo (B6109) and Åm
(S4687).
11 However, the current version of UNIMUS catalogue says some curved fragments belong to a wooden cup (Fig. 49).
12 In Norwegian graves, there are 371 fabric textiles from 136 graves (Bender Jørgensen 1986: 90–96). Tabby is the
most common weave in Norway (42.1%), followed by 2/2 twill (29.6%), diamond twill (24.9%) and other weaves
(3.3%). The number of tabby fragments is considerably lower than in the rest of Scandinavia, while the number of
twill fragments is higher (Fig. 57). The current version of UNIMUS catalogue points that some bird feathers were
found in the grave, mainly rusted to iron objects T1202 and T1205. If so, it could mean that bedclothes were
deposited in the grave. At this moment, I know six Norwegian Viking Age graves where down and feathers served
as filling of bedclothes - Oseberg, Gokstad, Grønhaug, Haugen i Rolvsøy, Søndre Moksnes and Øksnes (Dove –
Wickler 2016: 33–35; Ingstad 2006: 227–229). The same objects can be also found in Danish graves and can be
supported by written sources. Pillows and quilts filled with down and feathers, mostly of eider duck or goose, are
(T1187). Two small pieces of probably unfired coarse clay were found in the cluster. In addition,
fragments of twisted cords were found, probably made of bast.
Below the left knee of the body, there was situated a small bucket (T1183; Figs. 10–11).
Several planks are still preserved; the longest plank was 23.5 cm (9") long and had a notch for the
bottom piece. The longest plank shows the bucket was girded with three presumably wooden
hoops. Side hoops were broader than the central hoop. The repost says that hoops were stitched
to planks with root filaments, but we cannot judge as hoops were not taken to the museum
collection. In pictures, we can see textiles, woven in the plain weave, covering some planks. Viking
Age buckets seem to belong to three types: buckets with iron handles and hoops (type A), buckets
made entirely of wood (type B) and buckets with iron handles and hoops that are made of iron or
bronze decorated plates (type C). Generally, I was able to find around 200 buckets that are 10,7 –50
cm high and reach 6.5–65 cm in diameter (Arwidsson – Holmqvist 1984: 237–241; Pedersen 2014:
150–151, Find list 11; Petersen 1951: 402–407; Thurmark-Nylén 2006: 351–360; Westphal 2007:
37–44, Wulff Andersen 1998: 26). I can add that planks were usually made of conifer trees (mainly
fir and yew), while oak was preffered for bottom pieces (Pedersen 2014: 150–151, Find list 11;
Petersen 1951: 402–407; Westphal 2007: 38, Abb. 26).
A scoop lay in the bucket (T1181; Figs. 5 –7). The bowl of the scoop is 11.8 cm long, 7.8 cm
wide and around 5.2 cm (2") deep. The bottom of the bowl was broken. The bowl is kidney-shaped
and it tapers into a nozzle on one side. The nozzle is ca. 3 cm in diameter. The handle of the scoop
is also partially broken. The broadened part of the handle is decorated with carved triangles that
are placed in the chequered position. Inside the bowl, there were stored several hazelnuts (Griffin
1981: 171). In Viking Age Norway, there were used wooden, iron and bronze scoops (Petersen
1951: 391–407). The closest analogies of the scoop from Voll come from Oseberg, where 5 scoops
were discovered (Grieg 1928: 142–146). Two wooden cups with handles from Gokstad could have
the similar function (Nicolaysen 1882: 45, Pl. IX:7). For a better comparison, fifteen wooden scoops
were found in Haithabu (Westphal 2007: 36, Taf. 6–7) and 150 examples in Novgorod (Kolčin 1989).
An iron axe head was placed by the left side of the chest (T1204; Fig. 43). According to
original reports, the axe was ca. 21 cm (8") long, ca. 13 –15 cm (5–6") broad and had ca. 5 cm wide
neck. The edge is partially rusted, as well as the butt of the axe. The report also says that some
wooden fragments of the sheath were found in the eye, but this information does not sound
reliable. It is much more probable that fragments of the shaft were found in the eye. Nevertheless,
the catalogue shows a wooden piece of a wide sheath, that was probably connected to the edge. A
report published in Namdalens Tidende no. 52 on July 2nd, 1873 says: "a broad war axe with
[traces of] conifer wood on the edge". What is more, a piece of rusted textiles were found on the
blade. Given to proportions of the blade, the neck and the eye, I would suggest that the axe head
belongs to bearded axes, most likely to the late variant of Petersen type E (see Petersen 1919, Fig.
35; personal communication with Piotr Kotowicz). This type is well attested in Norwegian graves.
Generally, type E is ca. 15–29 cm long and 10–18 cm broad, with a strong tendency for enlarging
during the 10th century (personal research). It cannot be stated whether the axe served primarily
as a weapon or a woodworking tool. Regarding the wooden sheath, it is a rare find with only one
analogy in Norway - the fragmented and now missing sheath of Petersen type B axe from Horstad
(T16368), that has 132 mm long edge. In total, I am aware of 22 axe sheaths from 10th to 12th
century, distributed in the area from Ireland to Russia (see Vlasatý 2016). They are usually made of
wood (alder, beech, birch, juniper, oak, pine, spruce, yew and willow) or antler. Sheaths were often
decorated and had different methods of fixing. The lenght of slits (79–120 mm) indicate that
sheaths belonged to axes with shorter (up to 100 mm) or middle long (101–140 mm) edges.
Four wooden fragments were found by the axe head (T1180; Figs. 3 –4). Three of them
formed a profiled, decorated rim of a plate or a bowl. The bottom piece of the dish is missing. The

considered to be signs of the rich status (Ingstad 2006: 227).

finder said the plate had an oval shape of ca. 31×23 cm, but architect Christian Christie, who drew
a presumptive reconstruction, supposed that the oval shape was caused by the process of drying
when the mound was opened, and considered the object to be round originally. Petersen (1951:
406) agreed and claimed that the plate had a diameter of around 23 –24 cm. The depth of the
object is now around 7,5 cm (3"). The rim is decorated with lines, triangles and braided ornaments.
In Viking Age Norway, wooden, bronze, glass and soapstone bowls were used. I am aware of only
four wooden round bowls in Norwegian material - the bowl from Kirkhus (S2584), that was coated
with bronze plate, the bowl from Fjeldsgård (C38258), the bowl found in a well in Hesby (C57460)
and the bowl from Gokstad (C10414). There are at least five more variously shaped basins from
Oseberg (Grieg 1928: 139–148) and two fragmented bowls from the settlement of Kaupang
(C52516/1-6583). The biggest comparable material was found in Haithabu, from which 245 bowls,
26 bowls with handles, 14 cups and 7 plates are known (Westphal 2007: 32–36, Taf. 1–5, 8–11).
Near to the bowl, a sickle was placed (T1199; Fig. 38). The tool is fragmented, broken into
three pieces, and heavily rusted. The tang was preserved, but with no traces of wooden handle.
The complete length was around 28.5 cm (11"). The width of the blade was near to 3 cm. In his
book, Petersen (1951: 123–143) wrote there were 881 sickle blades from Merovingian and Viking
Periods in Norway; 501 of them were found in "male graves", while 169 in "female graves".
Finally, there are six fragmented objects that cannot be placed in the grave context. First of
them were three fragments of a vessel (T1182; Figs. 8–9). The thickness of the body of the vessel
is around 2 cm (3/4"), while the other two fragments are slightly thinner. The longest piece, around
12 cm long, represents a fragment of the rim, that was decorated with a braided ornament and
two lines. Secondly, the collection consists also of various cylindrical wooden objects, around 2.5–
3 cm thick, that can seemingly be marked as spear shafts fragments (T1191; Fig. 27). In Scandinavia
and the Baltic countries, the most common material was split wood of ash, elm and oak (Creutz
2003: 517–518). The thickness of Viking Age spears shafts seems to be between ca. 13–35 mm
(Thålin-Bergman 1986: Tab. 3.2 and personal observations). The length of Early medieval spears
varied between ca. 130–370 cm; however, the most common length was around 200 cm (Husár
2008: 461–465; Kirpičnikov 1966: 9 and personal observations).13 Thirdly, a rectangular padlock
was found (T1192; Fig. 28), probably near to the fabric cluster, as textiles are rusted to the body of
the padlock. The shape is difficult to guess, but I would suggest it had a egg-shaped cross-section.
The padlock is around 4 cm wide. Petersen lists 22 Norwegian padlocks, of which four belong to
the type suggested above (Petersen 1951: 458–462, Fig. 250). A piece of wood is rusted to the
upper side of the padlock. A small, ca. 3 cm long piece of flintstone is another object (T1193; Fig.
29). Tiny flintstones like this one were important for fire starting, and therefore were kept safe,
together with fire strikers and a tinder made of polypore. In at least forty Norwegian graves, fire
strikers and small flintstones were found together (Petersen 1951: 437 and personal research of
newer finds). Moreover, two graves - Kirkhus (T12372) and Rødbøl (C56079) - contained fire
strikers and flintstones that were stored in leather pouches or boxes, while the tinder probably
rotted away. Fourthly, there is an unknown iron tool (T1203; Fig. 42). It was ca. 10 cm (3 3/4")
long, but the object is heavily rusted. The body of the tool has a flat, rectangular cross-section, and
a tapering end. The tang was clearly set in a wooden handle, whose parts were found partially
rusted to the tang, partially found separately in fragments. The tool was probably covered with a
leather sheath. The original report suggests that the tool could be a file. Petersen counted 169
Viking Age files in Norway, varying from 13 to 41 cm in length (Petersen 1951: 94–95). I am not
aware of any analogy for a file sheath. Second to last is a 9 cm (3 1/2") long bent and damaged
piece of wood (T1206; Fig. 45). It is decorated with braided ornament that resemble the one found
on the bowl/plate (T1180). The original report suggests this object is a handle. The very last of the

13 If the spear was of such a length, the shaft could have been broken before the burial, as the chamber is rather
short.
find are variously shaped pieces of iron fragments and an iron rivet (T1205; Fig. 44). To some
fragments, fabrics that are similar to those mentioned above are rusted (T1194).
The content of the grave was carefully packed by the finder and given to the Museum of
Natural History and Archaeology (Vitenskapsmuseet) in Trondheim, where it stays until the present
day. The grave was suprisingly well-preserved, probably because of well built stone slab chamber.
Without any doubts, the grave dates to the 10th century (Petersen 1951; Sandsnes 1965: 197). The
man resting in the grave was probably supposed to represent a multicrafter, a person that is
warrior, generous landowner and trader at the same time. The number of preserved wooden
objects is outstanding and can be compared with only two Norwegian Viking Age graves - Oseberg
and Gokstad. Almost all of the dishes are decorated, what seems to be a common tradition. The
use of birch bark and polypore can be also shocking. 14 As far as I know, the vessels were not filled
with food, if hazelnuts are not counted. Another extraordinary feature of the grave is the fact that
almost all sharp and fragile tools were equipped with sheaths or bags that could be useful in
everydal life. By analogies, I tried to suggest that it is not an unique feature and it is probable that
sheaths were common. We can guess that they probably rotted away in the most graves, or tools
were deposited unsheathed.
When we look at the Viking Age graves, especially in publications or on the Internet, we
often accept a false picture of original condition and the period life. Not only that the person was
dead already a thousand years ago, her or his name and tale forgotten for a long time, but also the
grave goods were selected by those closest to her or him. Even in case of inhumations, textiles
decayed, colours bleached and there are no traces of life at all. The absence of organic materials
makes the grave featureless, insignificant, dead by metaphor and fact. How can we judge the past
from finds that were taken from the living material culture, chosen to the grave, survived the
passing of the time, were lucky enough to be found, examined and finally published in a book that
readers can interpret? Such a selection will definitely distort our vision of the past. As an example,
it can be mentioned that there are only five Viking Age complete or fragmented shoes and similar
number of spoons in Norway, while the number of swords is probably above 3000.
Fortunately, archaeological material is not the only medium. We can look for analogies in
written sources and get some interesting answers on the way how a period person was thinking or
how and why a particular object was used. On the other hand, Viking Age is a period on the border
of prehistory and early history, and archaeology is a more effective tool how to examine the
everyday life of all classes of the society. Therefore we, students of the past, have to cooperate in
order to gather well-preserved finds across the time and space and compare the results with
written sources and with ethnology. Some patterns can be detected only when a large number of
objects is collected. Most importantly, we have to humbly admit that we will never be able to fully
reconstruct the image of the period life, due to the limits of the selection. In order to get the
biggest possible amount of data, we have to study the finds, not only by our eyes, but also with our
hands and with technology. Recreations and replicas made to scale can also bring some interesting
answers, as we can see below.

14 Even though birch bark rots easily or can be overlooked, it had wide scale of application. I am aware of wrappings
(for example arrowheads fixed in shafts with birch bark wrapping, see Farbregd 1972: 67, Pl. 4), purses, bags
(armrings stored in wrapped birch bark [C26673]) and boxes (for example Kolčin 1989: 76), bottoms/lids (for
example Westphal 2007: 48, Pl. 21), cups (for a two-layered example, see S2584), saddles (for example the saddle
from By [C9596], see Petersen 1951: 39), floats (Edberg 2012: 8–12; Edberg 2015: 86–87), quivers, simple shoes of
poor people (therefore one Norwegian political movement during the Civil War in 12th-13th centuries was called
Birchlegs [Birkibeinar]), mats and tents (mats made of sewn stripes of bark, sometimes lined with cloth and
coloured with dyes, used to serve as underlays, covers of bodies or coffins and as tents in some Vendel Period and
Viking Age graves, see Arwidsson 1942: 106–109 and Gräslund 1980: 14), simple Sami boats (Dove – Wickler 2016:
30), fire starting, colouring textiles, tar making (Ravn 2016: 31–34) or under-layers of turf roofs (Berg 1989:71;
Solberg 2001: 185). For prehistorical approach to birch bark, see Clark 1968: 207–209.
 Supplement
Recreation of a spear sheath
Are Pedersen, Borre Vikinglag15

I was asked by the author to write several lines about a spear sheath I made. I based my
sheath on a drawing in the book "Vikings at War" by Kim Hjardar and Vegard Vike (Hjardar – Vike
2011: 47). Kim told me that the drawing was based on a find from Trøndelag. I decided to make
one because it was an object that made a lot of sense, but which I had not seen recreated in any
reenactment context - something I am certain is about to change once this report is published.
Kim and I were invited as craftsmen to a reenactment event in Russia. We were asked to
show products and crafts typical of our area (Norway) and I decided to make spear sheaths,
because they are relatively simple to make, yet not often seen. Another factor was that all
materials and tools had to be brought by airplane, so this seemed like a reasonable project. Before
the event, I made a sheath for a large spearhead as trial to see if it was possible (Figs. 50–51). That
one was probably the most correct one, when it comes to comparison with the original. Yet, it is
not an exact replica, as I did not see the actual find until later. The construction consists of two
halves of wood glued together, then wrapped with strips of birch bark.
The second one, that was made on the event, was made of birch bark and linden wood, as I
wanted something of light weight that was easy to carve. In this case, I decided to carve out a small
"bridge" as found on sword sheaths, in order to attach a leather thong for fastening (Fig. 52). The
sheath was carved and assembled in front of the visitors at the event, using only recreated Viking
Age tools. Because of the travel limitations, I was forced to use modern PVA glue instead of animal
glue.

Recreation of a cross-shaped dress pin

Roman Král, Vanir

Although I am primarily focused on the reconstruction of the Great Moravian objects, I like
to recreate Early medieval items in general. This time, I decided to make a simple cross-shaped pin
based on the find from Voll, Norway. The original is made of silver, as well as four analogies from
Norway. However, iron and bronze examples are also known. The entire pin is one-pieced and
symmetrical.
My version is made of a 4 mm thick brass wire (Figs. 53–54). There is no need to use special
tools - only tongs, a pin hammer, a burner and a file or a whetstone are necessary. While the
process is clear, the only problematic point can be the twisted end of the wire. Before the twisting,
the end has to be filed, in order to form a smoothly tapering point that could be elegantly twisted
around the pin. Such an ending is typical for Scandinavian area. In the end, the cross has to be
gently hammered.
There is now doubt how the pin was used. Similarly to ringed pins and some bone pins, a
thong/cord was fastened to the terminal (Fig. 55). When in use, the free end of the thong/cord
was twined around the tip, so the pin was fixed (Fig. 56).

15 Are Pedersen is also the former Crafts Coordinator and Museum Teacher at Lofotr, Norway.
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 Catalogue

Fig. 3 : Fragments of the decorated rim of the plate or the bowl, T1180. The photo was kindly taken from UNIMUS. Photographer: Ole Bjørn Pedersen.
Fig. 4 : Reconstructed look of the plate or the bowl, T1180. The picture was taken from AB 1874: Pl. VII, 32. Author: Christian Christie.
Fig. 5 : Funneled kidney-shaped scoop, T1181. The photo was kindly taken from UNIMUS. Photographer: Ole Bjørn Pedersen.
Fig. 6 : Drawing of the scoop, T1181. The picture was taken from AB 1874: Pl. VIII, 34. Fig. 7 : Top view of the scoop, T1181. The photo was kindly taken from UNIMUS.
Author: Christian Christie. Photographer: Per Fredriksen
Fig. 8 : Decorated fragments of the vessel, T1182. The photo was kindly taken from UNIMUS. Photographer: Ole Bjørn Pedersen.
Fig. 9 : Drawing of the fragment of the vessel, T1182. The picture was taken from AB 1874: Pl. VIII, 38. Author: Christian Christie.
Fig. 10 : Fragments of planks of the bucket, T1183. The photo was kindly taken from UNIMUS. Photographer: Ole Bjørn Pedersen.
Fig. 11 : Fragments of planks of the bucket, T1183. The photo was kindly taken from UNIMUS. Photographer: Ole Bjørn Pedersen.
Fig. 12 : Drinking horn, an Insular import, T1184. The photo was kindly taken from UNIMUS. Photographer: Ole Bjørn Pedersen.
Fig. 13 : Drawing of the drinking horn, T1184. The picture was taken from AB 1874: Pl. VIII, 36. Author: Christian Christie.
Fig. 14 : Decorated bowl made of birch polypore, T1185. The photo was kindly taken from UNIMUS. Photographer: Ole Bjørn Pedersen.
Fig. 15 : Drawing of the polypore bowl, T1185. The picture was taken from AB 1874: Pl. VII, 33. Author: Christian Christie.
Fig. 16 : Fragments of backpack boards, T1186. The photo was kindly taken from UNIMUS. Photographer: Ole Bjørn Pedersen.
Fig. 17 : Backpack boards from Gokstad and the reconstruction of the backpack. The picture was taken from Hinsch 1958: 187, 192–193, Figs. 6, 8–9.
Fig. 18 : Fragmented pair of scales and the beam balance, T1187. The photo was kindly taken from UNIMUS. Photographer: Ole Bjørn Pedersen.
Fig. 19: Ornated iron weight with a bronze shell, T1187. The photo was kindly taken from UNIMUS. Photographer: Ole Bjørn Pedersen.
Fig. 20: Pieces of two bags, one of leather and the other of fur, T1187. The photo was kindly taken from UNIMUS. Photographer: Ole Bjørn Pedersen.
Fig. 21: Three pieces of bone, T1187. The photo was kindly taken from UNIMUS. Photographer: Ole Bjørn Pedersen.
Fig. 22 : Drawing of the awl with the sheath, T1188. The picture was taken from AB 1874: Pl. VIII, 37.
Author: Christian Christie.

Fig. 23: Fragment of the awl sheath, T1188. The photo was kindly taken from UNIMUS.
Photographer: Ole Bjørn Pedersen.
Fig. 24 : Reconstruction of the comb, T1189. The picture was taken from AB 1874: Pl. VIII, 40. Author: Christian Christie.

Fig. 25 : Fragments of the comb, T1189. The photo was kindly taken from UNIMUS.
Photographer: Ole Bjørn Pedersen.
Fig. 26 : Fragments of the wooden tool, maybe a shaft with a wooden wedge, T1190. The photo was kindly taken from UNIMUS. Photographer: Ole Bjørn Pedersen.
Fig. 27 : Wooden cylindrical objects, maybe fragments of the spear shafts, T1191. The photo was kindly taken from UNIMUS. Photographer: Ole Bjørn Pedersen.
Vesle Hjerkin
Fig. 28 : Padlock of iron, T1192. The photo was kindly taken from UNIMUS. Photographer: Ole Bjørn Pedersen.
Fig. 29 : Small flintstone, T1193. The photo was kindly taken from UNIMUS. Photographer: Ole Bjørn Pedersen.
Fig. 30 : Fragments of textiles, cords and fur, T1194. The photo was kindly taken from UNIMUS. Photographer: Ole Bjørn Pedersen.
Fig. 31 : Fragments of unfired clay, T1194. The photo was kindly taken from UNIMUS. Photographer: Ole Bjørn Pedersen.
Fig. 32 : Cross-shaped pin made of silver wire, T1195. The photo was kindly taken from UNIMUS. Photographer: Ole Bjørn Pedersen.
Fig. 33 : Decorated hilt of the sword, T1196. The photo was kindly taken from UNIMUS.
Fig. 34 : Fragmented sword, T1196. The photo was kindly taken from UNIMUS. Photographer: Ole Bjørn Pedersen.
Fig. 35 : Bigger spearhead covered in the sheath, T1197. The photo was kindly taken from UNIMUS. Photographer: Kari Dahl.
Fig. 36 : The other side of the bigger spearhead covered in the sheath, T1197. The photo was kindly taken from UNIMUS. Photographer: Kari Dahl.
Fig. 37 : Shorter, rusted spearhead, T1198. The photo was kindly taken from UNIMUS. Photographer: Ole Bjørn Pedersen.
T1197
Fig. 38 : Fragmented sickle, T1199. The photo was kindly taken from UNIMUS. Photographer: Ole Bjørn Pedersen.
 T1197

Fig. 39 : Huge shears, T1200. The photo was kindly taken from UNIMUS. Photographer: Ole Bjørn Pedersen.
Fig. 40 : Fragments of the knife, T1201. The photo was kindly taken from UNIMUS. Photographer: Ole Bjørn Pedersen.
Fig. 41 : Knife-like object, T1202. The photo was kindly taken from UNIMUS. Photographer: Ole Bjørn Pedersen.
Fig. 42 : Fragments of the iron tool, probably a file, T1203. The photo was kindly taken from UNIMUS. Photographer: Ole Bjørn Pedersen.
Fig. 43 : Axe with sheath, T1204. The photo was kindly taken from UNIMUS. Photographer: Ole Bjørn Pedersen.
Fig. 44 : Iron fragments and the iron rivet, T1205. The photo was kindly taken from UNIMUS. Photographer: Ole Bjørn Pedersen.
Fig. 45 : Decorated wooden fragment, probably a part of handle, T1206. The photo was kindly taken from UNIMUS. Photographer: Ole Bjørn Pedersen.
Fig. 46 : Longer whetstone, T1207. The photo was kindly taken from UNIMUS. Photographer: Ole Bjørn Pedersen.
Fig. 47 : Shorter whetstone, T1208. The photo was kindly taken from UNIMUS. Photographer: Ole Bjørn Pedersen.
Fig. 48 : An example of fragments that are interpreted as the sheath for the shorter spear, T1209. The photo was kindly taken from UNIMUS. Photographer: Ole Bjørn Pedersen.
Fig. 49 : An example of fragments that are interpreted as the wooden cup, T1209. The photo was kindly taken from UNIMUS. Photographer: Ole Bjørn Pedersen.
Fig. 50 : Spear sheath replica made by Are Pedersen; unsheathed state.
Fig. 51 : Spear sheath replica made by Are Pedersen; sheathed state.
Fig. 52 : Spear sheath with a carved bridge made by Are Pedersen; sheathed state.
Fig. 53 : Brass cross-shaped pin made by Roman Král; unfixed state.
Fig. 54 : Brass cross-shaped pin made by Roman Král; semi-fixed state.
Fig. 55 : Brass cross-shaped pin made by Roman Král; fixed state.
Fig. 56 : Drawings of pins in use. Pictures were taken from the exhibition that takes place in the National Museum in Dublin.
Fig. 57 : Distributions of 2/2 twill and diamond twills in graves of Viking Age Norway. Taken from Bender Jørgensen 1986: Figs. 150, 255.