The Viking Age May Have Been Triggered by Antler Trade in Scandinavia

It turns out that Scandinavian traders may have helped spark the dawn of the Viking Age. Scientists have discovered that this period may have start far earlier and may have been less violent than previously believed.

Previously, the start of the Viking Age was dated to a June 793 raid by Norwegian Vikings on Lindisfarne. This new research, though, reveals that Vikings were travelling from Norway to the vital trading center in Ribe on Denmark's west coast as early as 725.

In this latest study, the researchers employed a biomolecular technique to study bone and antler objects and fragments from the archaeological remains of Ribe's old marketplace. A number of samples turned out to be reindeer antler, which is not local to Denmark and was probably brought from Norway. These antlers are actually proof that Vikings visited Ribe, the oldest town in Scandinavia, well before their pillaging.

Deer antlers were essential to the manufacture of hair combs during the Viking Age. Access to antler was fundamental to this specialist craft, and may have been difficult for a profession combmaker to find in sufficient quantities locally.

"This shows us that merchants and other travelers from the north were visiting Ribe long before the start of the Viking Age as we know it," said Steve Ashby, one of the researchers, in a news release. "Even in its early stages, the town was attracting visitors from afar. We have long wondered whether Ribe, and places like it, kickstarted the Viking expansion in trade, travel and warfare, but it has been difficult to prove. Now for the first time, we can confidently say that people in the more remote parts of Scandinavia were visiting places like Ribe, presumably for commercial gain, from a very early stage. It's a vital contribution to the question of what caused the Viking Age: it looks as though towns and maritime trade may have been the engine driving all this change."

The findings reveal a bit more about the Viking Age. More specifically, it shows that Vikings weren't just violent aggressors but were also traders.

The findings are published in the European Journal of Archaeology.

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