20 Oct 2011

Archaeologists discover important Viking burial site

5:45 am on 20 October 2011

Archaeologists in Scotland say they've discovered one of the most important Viking burial sites ever found.

A Viking boat containing the remains of a high-ranking warrior with his axe, his sword, and his spear has been unearthed in the Scottish Highlands.

About 200 rivets - the remains of the boat he was laid in - were also found, along with a whetstone from Norway, a ring pin from Ireland and Viking pottery.

The BBC reports that the site, at Ardnamurchan, is thought to be more than 1000 years old.

Archaeologists describe the find as "fully-intact", meaning the remains of the body along with objects buried with it and evidence of the boat used were found and recovered.

The universities of Manchester, Leicester, Newcastle and Glasgow worked on, identified, or funded the excavation.

Archaeologist Dr Hannah Cobb, who is a co-director of the project, said the "artefacts and preservation make this one of the most important Norse graves ever excavated in Britain".