Viking Ship Burial
Dr Hannah Cobb, co-director of the Ardnamurchan Transitions Project, examines the sword from the first in tact Viking ship burial found on the UK mainland
What was first seen as a fairly modest, if unusual, mound on the Ardnamurchan peninsula in Scotland has now been revealed by a team from the universities of Leicester and Manchester to be something of far greater interest. Five years after it was first noticed, they returned to excavate it under the direction of Dr Oliver Harris and Dr Hannah Cobb. It was then that they uncovered what is the only mainland British example of a Viking boat burial to still contain the remains of the body, the grave goods and the boat, itself. Thought to date to the 10th century this is undoubtedly one of the most important Norse graves ever found in Britain.
As Dr Harris explained:
'This was someone of high status who was wealthy and powerful and very interested in being seen as a warrior' – a claim supported by the discover of a sword, spear and axe with the body.
The presence of the far-flung range of grave goods, including an Irish bronze ring-pin, a whetstone from Norway and Hebridean pottery, make the tracing of the man's origin considerably more tricky. It is hoped, however, that after further analysis of his teeth, his diet will be revealed and that this, in turn, will tell us where he came from.
Under Treasure Trove rules the finds will almost certainly be claimed by the Crown on behalf of the nation and, ultimately, displayed in the museum that makes a successful case for curating it, but there could be many applicants for this task.
The universities of Leicester, Birmingham, Manchester and Glasgow have all played roles in this project, as well as CFA Archaeology and Archaeology Scotland – but as there are some parallels to the Sutton Hoo burial site, the British Museum is very likely to express an interest as well.
So for the time being at least, the future of this remarkable find remains somewhat uncertain.