Image Credit: Ellen Grav/NTNU University Museum

Viking Woman Buried with Scallop Shells

Archaeologists in central Norway are investigating a mysterious Viking Age burial after a metal detectorist uncovered an oval brooch that led to a far more unusual discovery. Beneath a coastal field in Trøndelag, researchers found the remarkably preserved skeleton of a ninth-century woman buried with her jewelry and clothing — and two large scallop shells placed over her mouth, a ritual never before seen in pre-Christian Norwegian graves.
The discovery began when detectorist Roy Søreng located a typical Viking brooch on land owned by Arve Innstrand. After notifying experts, archaeologists excavated the site and uncovered the grave, which also contained bird bones and several artifacts. According to Raymond Sauvage of the Norwegian University of Science and Technology, the woman wore an outer dress fastened with two oval brooches, while a small ring brooch at her neck secured an inner slip-like garment. Her attire suggests she was a free, likely married woman — possibly the mistress of a farm.
The most puzzling elements of the burial are the scallop shells. Positioned over the woman’s mouth with the curved sides outward, they do not show holes or fittings that would indicate they were once part of an object. Scallops are common in the nearby Atlantic waters, though it is unclear whether they were collected by diving or gathered as empty shells along the shore.
Their symbolic meaning remains unknown. In Roman art, scallop motifs have been linked to ideas of rebirth, while in later medieval Christianity the scallop became a symbol of pilgrimage associated with St. James. Whether such ideas relate to this Viking burial is unclear, though archaeologists believe the shells were intended to convey a message to those present at the ceremony.
Earlier excavations in the same field revealed another skeleton dating to the eighth century, several generations older than the scallop-buried woman. Researchers plan to analyze the bones, conserve the grave goods, and conduct radiocarbon and DNA studies that may clarify the identities of the individuals and their possible relationship.

Published on: 20-11-2025

Source: Live Science