Archaeologists from Archaeological Institute of Arkeologerna have uncovered two Viking Age swords during excavations in Västmanland, outside of Köping, Sweden.
The swords were discovered during archaeological investigations of a Late Iron Age burial ground, which dates from around AD 600 – 1000.
The site comprises 100 graves and two burial mounds, with evidence of further burial activity indicated by the diversity of the discovered artifacts. Excavations of one of the tombs revealed a large cache of glass beads, while in the midst of the other two tombs, archaeologists found two Viking Age swords that had been carefully placed in a shallow setting.
In total, around 20 Viking Age swords have been found in the Västmanland area; however, this marks the first time that two swords have been discovered in the same burial ground and left standing untouched.
Speaking on the discovery, Antoinette Sjöberg from Archaeologerna suggests that the swords could have been deliberately placed on the mound to honor and commemorate someone’s achievements, being a symbolic marker that family members could visit and touch for around 1200 years ago.
Excavations also found the cremated remains of humans and animal bones, in addition to a gamut piece and parts of a comb and bear claws. Evidence of earlier occupations has also been identified, with archaeological remains of agricultural farming that dates from the Bronze Age or earlier.
While several individuals were buried in the mound centuries later, their gender is still yet to be determined; however, remains suggest a potential link to an osteological profile originating from the Bronze Age or earlier Iron Age.
Why several individuals were buried in the mound remains to be determined; however, researchers suggest further archaeological analysis should hopefully provide insights for the researchers of the respective cultures.