Name: Who Was This High-Status Viking Warrior?
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This Viking’s skeleton, which was buried alongside weapons and horses, was found in 1889. Over a century later, archaeologists still assumed the skeleton was that of a high-status male warrior. But DNA analysis revealed the surprising truth.

DNA evidence reveals surprising truth about the identity of a revered 9th-century Viking.

Who Was This High-Status Viking Warrior?

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This Viking’s skeleton, which was buried alongside weapons and horses, was found in 1889. Over a century later, archaeologists still assumed the skeleton was that of a high-status male warrior. But DNA analysis revealed the surprising truth.

DNA evidence reveals surprising truth about the identity of a revered ninth-century Viking fighter.

DNA evidence reveals surprising truth about the identity of a revered ninth-century Viking fighter.

Ancient Worlds

Who Was This High-Status Viking Warrior?Published: May 29, 2019NARRATOR: This skeleton was found in 1889, 30 miles from Stockholm, at the Viking island stronghold of Birka. Charlotte Hedenstierna-Jonson has recently reopened the case file on the ‘Birka Warrior.’CHARLOTTE HEDENSTIERNA-JONSON: This is my, my baby at the moment, yes.CAT JARMAN: Oh, wow!NARRATOR: Charlotte’s been able to use the original archaeologists’ field drawing to reconstruct how the skeleton was found. The body was buried with a sword, battle-axe, and some unexpected companions.HEDENSTIERNA-JONSON: In the foot end of the grave there was two horses.JARMAN: Two complete horses?HEDENSTIERNA-JONSON: Two complete horses. So, this is a very spectacular high-status grave. From the very beginning, it’s been interpreted as a warrior grave. And we would, of course, interpret this as a male. But, last year we got the results back from an ancient DNA analysis and it’s definitely confirmed to be a woman.JARMAN: Fantastic!HEDENSTIERNA-JONSON: And that caused quite a stir!NARRATOR: DNA extracted from the jawbone proved that this was a strong, healthy woman in her thirties. Her bones show no sign of how she died. But the weapons in her grave suggest the position she held in life.HEDENSTIERNA-JONSON: She is buried as a warrior. We can of course never prove that she was actively a warrior in life. But I think she was a warrior and I think that’s the message they wanted to convey that we’re reading now, 1,100 years later.

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Who Was This High-Status Viking Warrior?

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Support Provided By

Explore More

Lost Viking Army

A new Viking site could rewrite the story of the ‘Great Heathen Army’

Why Did These Vikings' Bones Appear Older Than They Are?