Archaeologists in Norway may have unearthed a Viking boat grave

Archaeologists may have uncovered a Viking boat grave beneath the market square in the Norwegian city of Trondheim.

Experts from the Norwegian Institute for Cultural Heritage Research (NIKU) uncovered the remains of the boat last week. While no wood remained intact, poorly-preserved nails indicated that a boat had been buried there, according to NIKU archaeologist Ian Reed, in a statement.

The boat, which was oriented roughly north-south, was more than 13 feet long. Two long bones, also oriented north-south, were found in the boat. The bones will now undergo DNA analysis to confirm if they are human.

Other artefacts found in the grave include a small piece of sheet bronze, which was up against one of the bones, and personal items such as a spoon and part of a key for a chest. The items likely date the grave from the 7th century to the 10th century, according to Reed.

Boat burials were a common tradition in the Iron Age into the Viking Period, but this is the first from the period to be discovered in the centre of Trondheim.

UCJ, UNILORIN.