Data Bases • Custom Term Papers • Free Term Papers • Free Research Papers • Free Essays • Free Book Reports • Plagiarism? Links • Top 100 Term Paper Sites • Top 25 Essay Sites • Top 50 Essay Sites • Search 97,000 Papers @ DirectEssays.com • Search 101,000 Papers @ ExampleEssays.com • Search 90,000 Papers @ MegaEssays.com Free Essays • Term Paper Sites • Chuck III's Free Essays • Free College Essays • TermPaperSites.com • My Term Papers • Get Free Essays • Essay World • Planet Papers	Search Lots of Essays Back to Subjects - Anthropology The Vikings The Vikings There is a great deal of misunderstanding about the Vikings. This mainly stems from differences in interpretation. There was a vast range of Viking activity from around 800 to 1100 AD. It is rather easy to find a great variety of sources on the subject of the Northman, also known as a Viking. The written sources were produced in different circumstances, at different times, and in numerous languages. Apart from runic texts, there have been no written texts found in Scandinavia or any of the other lands settled by the Vikings before 1100 AD (Sawyer pg. v). Historians of this particular age have to rely heavily on archaeology, and the artifacts found have made remarkable contributions to the comprehension of these Nordic people. The Vikings traveled extensively and because of this, their artifacts have been found on a great many of the continents. For example, Viking weapons were found on the foreshore of the river Thames, near the north end of London Bridge. Seven battle axes and six spears along with silver coins and jewels were found near the river (pg. 75). This is a reminder that the attacks by the Northmen were a reality. Most of the finds that have been discovered were weapons. Axes and swords are the most common weapons found. From this information, scholars have concluded that the Viking preferred hand to hand combat. In Kilmainhan, the archaeologists found solid evidence of trading. They discovered four sets of ninth century bronze balance scales and nine lead alloy weights (pg. 90). In several locations, they found craftsman’s tools, including a chest full from the mid-eighth century found at Staraja Lodoga (pg. 46). The most important of the archaeological finds are the ship burials (Trycare 162). Viking ships were found buried, and the findings were quite like the Egyptian tombs. Clothes, jewels, money, food, servants, and horses were just a few of the things unearthed from the underground tombs... The Gokstad ship, built in Norway around 900 AD, was found preserved in a mound of clay that it had been buried in (Sawyer pg. 213). Contrary to popular belief, it is obvious that the Vikings did not just send their dead off in fiery vessels. There are many grave areas that have rocks in the shape of boats, marking the final resting place of the body. It was the Pagan practice to bury women in costume with their jewelry. Men were usually buried with weapons or tools, depending on their occupation (British Museum of Art pg. 94). A person with status in society would be buried with their most treasured possessions to travel with them to the afterworld. Therefore, the unburned bodies, buried in the ground, are a wealth of information. One of the most intriguing finds to scholars is the Vinland map (Newbegin). It is rumoured that Erik the Red’s son was to have wintered in America. This particular map shows the unmistakable coastline of North–eastern America. The map is dated before 1440, and if authentic could throw a whole new light on the discovery of America. This is what some researchers are trying to prove. Thomas Cahill of the University of California at Davis, performed several tests on the map. Cahill was testing the properties of the ink, and concluded that it could indeed have medieval origins. He says, “The Vinland Map does not in any way stand out from the 150 medieval documents already analyzed at UC Davis.” There is one questionable fact about the map; it has two different kinds of ink. The map itself is all drawn in one kind, therefore Cahill is convinced of the authenticity. Currently, scientists are carbon dating the map. No formal announcement has been made, although several people at the Yale University Press conference have said that the date of the parchment is comparable with the date in question (Newbegin). Bibliography: The Vikings by Tre Tryckare; Officine Grafiche di Enrico Berinzaghi & C. 1972 The Vikings, British Museum and the Metropolitan Museum of Art; William Morrow & Company Inc. 1980 The Oxford Illustrated History of the Vikings; Edited by Peter Sawyer, Oxford University Press 1997 Yale Researchers Prove Vikings Were Here First; Katherine Newbegin- contributing reporter, http://www.cis.yale.edu/ydn/paper/2.13/2.13.96story no.CG.html , 1996 Yale Daily News Word Count: 645
Copyright © 2005 College Term Papers, INC All Rights Reserved.