Published August 23, 2023 | Version v1
Journal article Open

In the footsteps of Ohthere: biomolecular analysis of early Viking Age hair combs from Hedeby (Haithabu)

  • 1. University of York
  • 2. Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona
  • 3. Römisch Germanisches Zentralmusem (RGZM), Leibniz Research Institute for Archaeology
  • 4. Stiftung Schleswig-Holsteinische Landesmuseen Schloß Gottorf
  • 5. Stockholm University

Description

Hedeby was the largest town in the Viking North. Investigations have identified imports at the site from central and northern Scandinavia revealing long-distance connections. The chronology of this trade, however, is unclear. Here, the authors use a typological-biomolecular approach to examine connections during the early Viking Age. The application of ZooMS to an assemblage of antler combs, stylistically dated to the ninth century AD, reveals nearly all were made of reindeer antler. As most craft production waste from Hedeby comprises red deer antler, it is argued that these combs were manufactured elsewhere, perhaps hundreds of kilometres further north. The results have implications for understanding of production and regional connectivity in early medieval Scandinavia.

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Additional details

Funding

European Commission
ArchSci2020 - Archaeology on the Edge: Northern Europe and the Circumpolar World 676154