Slaves as burial gifts in Viking Age Norway? Evidence from stable isotope and ancient DNA analyses

Naumann, Elise; Krzewińska, Maja; Götherström, Anders; Eriksson, Gunilla

doi:10.1016/j.jas.2013.08.022

Cited by 49 publications

(26 citation statements)

References 45 publications

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“…Less than 0.1% of people worldwide are known to belong to this haplotype, suggesting the two individuals were related [31]. Interestingly, isotope analyses of the two Flakstad individuals (A5864A and A5864B) suggested they were unrelated, as they consumed different diets and were probably from different social strata [47]. For the purposes of the statistical analyses, to avoid overrepresentation of lineages owing to potential family relationship, the duplicate sequences were removed.…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Mitochondrial DNA variation in the Viking age population of Norway

Krzewińska

Bjørnstad

Skoglund

et al. 2015

Phil. Trans. R. Soc. B

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The medieval Norsemen or Vikings had an important biological and cultural impact on many parts of Europe through raids, colonization and trade, from about AD 793 to 1066. To help understand the genetic affinities of the ancient Norsemen, and their genetic contribution to the gene pool of other Europeans, we analysed DNA markers in Late Iron Age skeletal remains from Norway. DNA was extracted from 80 individuals, and mitochondrial DNA polymorphisms were detected by next-generation sequencing. The sequences of 45 ancient Norwegians were verified as genuine through the identification of damage patterns characteristic of ancient DNA. The ancient Norwegians were genetically similar to previously analysed ancient Icelanders, and to present-day Shetland and Orkney Islanders, Norwegians, Swedes, Scots, English, German and French. The Viking Age population had higher frequencies of K*, U*, V* and I* haplogroups than their modern counterparts, but a lower proportion of T* and H* haplogroups. Three individuals carried haplotypes that are rare in Norway today (U5b1b1, Hg A* and an uncommon variant of H*). Our combined analyses indicate that Norse women were important agents in the overseas expansion and settlement of the Vikings, and that women from the Orkneys and Western Isles contributed to the colonization of Iceland.

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Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Mitochondrial DNA variation in the Viking age population of Norway

Krzewińska

Bjørnstad

Skoglund

et al. 2015

Phil. Trans. R. Soc. B

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“…The 87 Sr/ 86 Sr value is integrated in local soil, plants and eventually animals and humans through the consumption of local foods and drinking water. Because four samples are from dogs, the possibility of high marine input in the diet should be considered, due to the high marine dietary values for one dog analyzed at Flakstad, Nordland (Naumann et al, 2014). The considerable geological variation in Norway is a challenge for strontium migration studies because of the wide range of strontium isotope ratios present.…”

Section: Strontium Isotope Analyses For Investigation Of Residential mentioning

confidence: 99%

Changes in dietary practices and social organization during the pivotal late iron age period in Norway (AD 550–1030): Isotope analyses of merovingian and viking age human remains

Naumann

Price

Richards

2014

American J Phys Anthropol

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Human remains representing 33 individuals buried along the coast in northern Norway were analyzed for diet composition using collagen stable carbon and nitrogen isotope analysis. Where possible, both teeth and bone were included to investigate whether there were dietary changes from childhood to adulthood. A general shift was documented from the Merovingian Age 550-800 AD to the Viking Age AD 800-1050 (VA), with a heavier reliance on marine diet in the VA. Dietary life history data show that 15 individuals changed their diets through life with 11 of these having consumed more marine foods in the later years of life. In combination with (87) Sr/(86) Sr data, it is argued that at least six individuals possibly originated from inland areas and then moved to the coastal region where they were eventually interred. The trend is considered in relation to the increasing expansion of the marine fishing industry at this time, and it is suggested that results from isotope analyses reflect the expanding production and export of stockfish in this region.

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“…Most striking, perhaps, is the general decline in individual dietary change, in contrast to dietary studies of the Viking‐age population in northern Norway (Fig. ) (Naumann et al ., , ). We focus mainly on the δ 13 C values in this estimation, as δ 13 C is proven to be fairly consistent regardless of sex and age (Lovell et al ., ), whilst δ 15 N values might vary with a range of uncertain physiological traits such as age (Hedges and Reynard, ), and thus are less valuable in studies of individual dietary change.…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Baseline values from animal species analysed in Norway. Sources: based on Barrett et al (), Rosvold et al (), Naumann et al (, ) and van der Sluis (). [Colour figure can be viewed at wileyonlinelibrary.com]…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Who were the first urban settlers of Oslo? A discussion of early medieval urbanization based on isotopic analyses of human remains

et al. 2019

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This paper investigates the process of early urbanization in Oslo, Norway, during the initial period of early 11th–late 12th Century using a bioarchaeological approach. Through the use of isotope analyses performed on teeth and bone from 20 humans buried in Oslo during the first phases of urban settlement, individual dietary change and mobility are reconstructed. Oslo is traditionally perceived as one of many urban settlements initiated by royal power, and this paper contributes to this discussion by investigating the origin of the first settlers, and also how the early urban process affected their way of living. Results suggest that most individuals in the study were of local origin, and had a constant diet throughout life from childhood to its last phase. The absence of individual dietary change sharply contrasts the dynamic dietary patterns observed in people from the Viking age. Dietary variation between individuals does suggest, however, social differences among the early urban population of Oslo.

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Slaves as burial gifts in Viking Age Norway? Evidence from stable isotope and ancient DNA analyses

Cited by 49 publications

References 45 publications

Mitochondrial DNA variation in the Viking age population of Norway

Mitochondrial DNA variation in the Viking age population of Norway

Changes in dietary practices and social organization during the pivotal late iron age period in Norway (AD 550–1030): Isotope analyses of merovingian and viking age human remains

Who were the first urban settlers of Oslo? A discussion of early medieval urbanization based on isotopic analyses of human remains

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