Ballateare Viking Burial Grave Goods
Date made: Viking: 800-1265
Description: A burial took place sometime around AD 900. A man dressed in a woollen cloak fastened by a pin was placed in a wooden coffin. In the coffin with him were placed spears, a knife, a shield and a finely-crafted sword, broken into two pieces. The coffin was placed into a grave and covered with white sand, then turf upto a height of 1.2m.
On this mound was then placed the body of a woman whose skull had been slashed by a heavy, sharp implement, leaving a large hole on the top. Her body was then covered by a layer about 8cm thick of a mixture of cremated animal bones - ox, horse, pig, sheep, goat and dog - mixed with earth and charcoal. A final layer of earth and possibly turf was added to complete the mound.
The mound was completed with a layer of earth and probably turf, and a post marked the site of the burial for all to see in the surrounding landscape.
See 1966-0373/0001 - /00013 for associated finds
Gerhard Bersu was an eminent archaeologist and a wartime internee. He was encouraged to lead excavations of many of the Island's most prominent archaeological sites.
Materials: bone, copper alloy, iron, leather, silver, wood, wool
Date found: 1946-11
Object name: grave goods
Collection: Archaeology Collection
ID number: 1966-0373
Comments
Linked Records
Places:
Museum:
- Ballateare Viking Burial Ring-headed pin
- Ballateare Viking Burial Spearhead
- Ballateare Viking Burial Strap Fitting
- Ballateare Viking Burial Female Human Skull
- Ballateare Viking Burial Spearhead
- Ballateare Viking Burial Shield
- Ballateare Viking Burial Human Remains
- Ballateare Viking Burial Strap-end
- Ballateare Viking Burial Spearhead
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