Dead Warriors in Living Memory: A Study of Weapon and Equestrian Burials in Viking-Age Denmark, Ad 800-1000

Since the early days of archaeology, Viking-Age burials and burial customs have attracted much attention. Evocative tales of warriors and their deeds - preserved in Old Norse poetry and sagas and recorded in the historical chronicles of church and court scribes - formed the background for the interpretation of some of the most prominent finds, the burials with weapons and horse furnishings. To antiquarians and archaeologists of the 19th century, it was almost self-evident that a life so closely tied to warfare and violent expansion abroad would also find expression in the burials of the time. Since then, the archaeological evidence has increased considerably, providing a far more extensive basis for the study of Viking-Age burial practices today than a century ago. This book presents a detailed study of weapon and equestrian burials set against the overall burial evidence from Viking-Age Denmark. Typological and chronological analyses of individual objects and burials demonstrate the diversity of the weapon burial practice of especially the 10th century. In a period of significant political and religious transition in southern Scandinavia, ostentatious burial may have served as a means to demonstrate social position, as well as political and religious preferences among the Viking elite. The study is divided into two parts: Part 1 Text, including bibliography and site index, and Part 2 Catalogue, with 24 maps and 70 artifact plates. (Series: Studies in Archaeology & History, Vol. 20:1 Jelling Series) [Subject: History, Medieval Studies, Archaeology, Viking Studies]