Norway Vikings found to be much more violent than previously thought

Sign up for our free Health Check email to receive exclusive analysis on the week in health Get our free Health Check email Get our free Health Check email SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. open image in gallery Damage seen on remodelled Viking skull bone The research, published in the Journal of Anthropological Archaeology, reveals how Viking Age societies in Norway and Denmark differed in their experiences with violence and the role social structures played in shaping those patterns. They analysed skeletal remains from Viking Age Norway and Denmark and found that a third of the Norwegian skeletons showed healed injuries, indicating that violent encounters were much more common than previously thought. Int'l student unearths 3,000-year-old bronze arrowhead in Wuhan, China Among these skeletons, nearly 40 per cent showed signs of “lethal trauma”, highlighting the frequent and often fatal use of weapons in Norway. open image in gallery Weapon related lesions identified on spine, pelvis, and shin bones The research points to “key differences” in the way violence, social hierarchies and authority influenced these dynamics in Denmark and Norway Viking societies.