| 1. |
- Luik, Heidi, et al.
(author)
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ANTLER COMBS FROM THE SALME SHIP BURIALS : FIND CONTEXT, ORIGIN, DATING AND MANUFACTURE
- 2020
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In: ESTONIAN JOURNAL OF ARCHAEOLOGY. - : ESTONIAN ACAD PUBLISHERS. - 1406-2933 .- 1736-7484. ; 24:1, s. 3-44
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- In 2008 and 2010, two partly destroyed ship burials were discovered near Salme on the island of Saaremaa. During the archaeological excavations, at least 41 wholly or partially preserved skeletons were discovered, and a large number of artefacts were found, including a dozen single-sided antler combs. On the basis of the finds, as well as radiocarbon dating, the ship burials were dated to the Pre-Viking Period, while both the isotopic and archaeological evidence point towards central Sweden as the most probable origin of the buried individuals. The combs from Salme have features that are generally consistent with the 8th century, with the closest parallels coming from the Malar region of central Sweden. According to ZooMS and aDNA analyses, they are made of elk (Alces alces) and reindeer (Rangifer tarandus) antler. Elk inhabited the Malar region, but reindeer antler had its origin in more northern regions. Most combs were clearly manufactured with great skill, and finished with care, though some details indicate differences in the skills of comb makers.
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| 2. |
- Margaryan, Ashot, et al.
(author)
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Population genomics of the Viking world
- 2020
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In: Nature. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 1476-4687 .- 0028-0836. ; 585:7825, s. 390-396
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- The maritime expansion of Scandinavian populations during the Viking Age (about ad750–1050) was a far-flung transformation in world history1,2. Here we sequenced the genomes of 442humans from archaeological sites across Europe and Greenland (to a median depth of about 1×) to understand the global influence of this expansion. We find the Viking period involved gene flow into Scandinavia from the south and east. We observe genetic structure within Scandinavia, with diversity hotspots in the south and restricted gene flow within Scandinavia. We find evidence for a major influx of Danish ancestry into England; a Swedish influx into the Baltic; and Norwegian influx into Ireland, Iceland and Greenland. Additionally, we see substantial ancestry from elsewhere in Europe entering Scandinavia during the Viking Age. Our ancient DNA analysis also revealed that a Viking expedition included close family members. By comparing with modern populations, we find that pigmentation-associated loci have undergone strong population differentiation during the past millennium, and trace positively selected loci—including the lactase-persistence allele of LCT and alleles of ANKA that are associated with the immune response—in detail. We conclude that the Viking diaspora was characterized by substantial transregional engagement: distinct populations influenced the genomic makeup of different regions of Europe, and Scandinavia experienced increased contact with the rest of the continent.
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| 3. |
- Price, T. Douglas, et al.
(author)
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Human remains, context, and place of origin for the Salme, Estonia, boat burials
- 2020
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In: Journal of Anthropological Archaeology. - : ACADEMIC PRESS INC ELSEVIER SCIENCE. - 0278-4165 .- 1090-2686. ; 58
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Isotopic proveniencing of all individuals from the ship and boat burials at Salme, Estonia, is the subject of this study of the interred human remains from around AD 750, at the beginning of the Viking period. The isotopic results indicate that the majority of these individuals came from a region with higher strontium isotopic ratios than those found in Estonia. There were five individuals, buried in Salme II-the ship burial with 34 individuals-who exhibited lower strontium isotope ratios that might have come from the Swedish island of Gotland or several other possible places. The combination of isotopic signals and archaeological information suggests that the majority of buried individuals (those with higher strontium isotope ratios) came from the Malaren Valley in east-central Sweden.
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