Archaeologists discover remains of Viking rituals in Iceland
A boat-shaped structure was discovered, as well as dozens of beads, some of them having their origin directly traced to Iraq.
By JERUSALEM POST STAFFVolcano has erupted in Iceland near Reykjavik (photo credit: REUTERS)
A site in Iceland dating back to the Viking age, approximately 300 meters beyond Surtshellir cave, has been discovered by archeologists, a new study suggests. The site in question was used for ancient rituals performed by Vikings. Published in the Journal of Archaeological Science, the archeologists, some based in Iceland with others hailing from the US and Norway, recorded many of their findings Surtshellir – the most notable discovery being a "boat-shaped structure made of rocks."The Surtshellir cave is the longest lava cave in Iceland, stretching about 1.6 kilometers. It is named after the Viking fire giant Surtur, an integral figure in Norse mythology. The cave has an "aura of mystery and intrigue" and is close to a volcano that erupted over 1,000 years ago. The authors of the study wrote that the "impacts of this eruption must have been unsettling, posing existential challenges for Iceland's newly arrived settlers."This is in relation to the Nordic Vikings, who were active around that time and were historically known to be conquerors hailing from Scandinavian countries such as Norway, Sweden and Denmark, and later colonizing Iceland after the eruption. Dozens of beads were discovered as well, with some of them directly traced to Iraq, with remains of orpiment minerals that were traced back to Turkey.
