700-year old Venetian gold coin found in the Swedish ‘lost city’ of Elleholm
The Republic of Venice (also known the the Venetian Empire) rose from its humble beginnings in the late 7th century AD – initially founded by…
Scandinavia
New evidence suggests how the Norsemen produced beer at least since the Iron Age
In what turned out to be one of the earliest pieces of evidence of beer-making in Sweden, researchers at the Lund University were able to…
Islamic art-inspired 800-year-old knight chess piece from 13th century Norway
A thimble-shaped knight chess piece inspired by Islamic art and discovered from one of Scandinavia’s oldest continuously inhabited city – this, in a nutshell, pertains…
Recently discovered mysterious runic inscription perplexes archaeologists
Back in October of this year, an archaeologist from the Norwegian Institute for Cultural Heritage Research (NIKU) was able to identify a polished slate in…
Listen to the world’s oldest known secular Norse song from Codex Runicus – a medieval manuscript written in runes
Codex Runicus, the medieval manuscript dating from circa 1300 AD, comprises around 202 pages composed in runic characters. Known for its content of the Scanian…
The oldest grape found in Denmark alludes to earlier Bronze Age contact between Scandinavia and southern Europe
While the specimen in question is described to be ‘broken and charred and shabby’, it can very well change our history-based perceptions about Europe in…
Animated video does a nifty job of debunking the popular Viking myths
When it comes to the scope of Vikings, there has always been a tendency to mash up historicity with popular romanticizing of these Norsemen. And…
3,600-year old Cypriot copper-made axes found in Bronze Age Sweden
The archaeological world went into frenzy when researchers came across a medieval Viking grave ring inscribed with the word ‘Allah’. This odd affair probably alluded…
