In a recent study published in the International Journal of Osteoarchaeology, bioarchaeologists and anthropologists have found evidence of violent deaths and a potential historical figure in a Viking-era sanctuary on Gotland.

During the excavations of the 11th-century chapel, six tombs were discovered, four of which were buried near one of the walls and the fifth inside the structure. Inside the building were found the remains of an elderly woman who died between the ages of 73 and 90. Scientists suggest that it may be a woman baptized by St. Olaf. This is a historical figure mentioned in epics.

Among the graves were also found two adult men with multiple acute wounds before death. One had severed skull vaults, facial bones and lower jaw, while the other had multiple sharp wounds on the arm and leg bones. An iron tip was also lodged in one of his thoracic vertebrae.

What did scientists learn about the Vikings found?

The isotopic composition of strontium and oxygen in the bones of the dead suggested that they may all have grown on Gotland, although the researchers did not rule out any other origin. The only exception was she, an old woman who may have spent her childhood in southern Norway or in Sweden, Denmark or Great Britain.

Analysis of stable carbon and nitrogen isotopes showed that the diet of most of the people studied was based on consumption of grains, dairy products, and meat of land animals. However, the older woman probably consumed a significant amount of seafood.

Human remains discovered on Gotland / Photo by Jonny Geber et al. / International Journal of Osteoarchaeology

Skull of one of the individuals studied / Photograph by Jonny Geber et al. / International Journal of Osteoarchaeology

While scientists cautiously suggest that the old woman may be the woman in the epics, they stress that bioarchaeological data cannot be used as evidence in favor of this hypothesis. Nevertheless, the discovery of near-death injuries in the bones of adult men finds parallels with the legendary information known from epics and other sources.

Excavations of a Viking Age chapel on Gotland are providing new insights into the lives and deaths of people who inhabited the area in medieval times. The work highlights the importance of bioarchaeology in unlocking the secrets of the past and sheds light on the brutal nature of life in this time.