Archaeologists in Trøndelag County excavated a Viking-Age grave after metal detectorist Roy Søreng found an oval brooch. The burial, dated to the 800s, likely belonged to a free, married woman and included two oval brooches, a ring buckle, bird wing bones, and two scallop shells placed over the mouth. Scallop shells are a Christian symbol but are exceptionally rare in pre-Christian Norwegian burials, leaving their meaning uncertain. Researchers will conduct radiocarbon dating, DNA analysis, and a full osteological study to learn more and to explore any kinship with an earlier skeleton found on the same site.
Metal Detectorist’s Find Leads to Perplexing Viking-Age Grave in Trøndelag
The remains are likely that of a married woman who lived in Bjugn.
Archaeologists in Trøndelag County, Norway, have excavated a Viking-Age burial after a metal detectorist discovered a distinctive brooch. The grave, dated to the 800s, contained skeletal remains and a cluster of costume pieces and objects that raise new questions about ritual practices in pre-Christian Norway.
The investigation began when metal detectorist Roy Søreng recovered an oval brooch and reported it to researchers. To protect the site and its finds, the excavation was carried out discreetly by a team from the NTNU Museum’s Department of Archaeology and Cultural History in collaboration with local authorities and the landowner, Arve Innstrand.
What was found
The burial appears to be that of a woman interred with a typical Viking-Age female costume: two oval brooches (one of which was the item reported by Søreng) that fasten the straps of a suspender dress, and a ring-shaped buckle used to close the neck opening of a petticoat. In addition to the clothing accessories, the team recovered two scallop shells positioned partly over the deceased's mouth and bird bones — likely wing elements — placed in the grave.
"The Viking Age grave contains what we believe to be a woman, buried with a typical Viking Age costume and jewellery set from the 800s. This indicates that she was a free and probably married woman, perhaps the mistress of the farm," said Raymond Sauvage, head engineer at the NTNU Museum’s Department of Archaeology and Cultural History and project manager for the surveys.
Why the shells matter
Archaeologists work on the skeleton remains.Image: Raymond Sauvage, NTNU University Museum
Scallop shells are widely known as a Christian emblem associated with the cult of St. James in the Middle Ages, but their occurrence in pre-Christian burials in Norway is extremely rare. As Sauvage explained, "This is a practice that is not previously known from pre-Christian graves in Norway. We don’t yet know what the symbolism means." The bird bones and shells were likely intended to communicate symbolic meaning to those who witnessed the burial, though their exact message remains unclear.
Context at the site
The newly excavated grave follows an earlier, exceptionally well-preserved skeleton recorded this same year in the same field. Field supervisor Hanne Bryn noted that the new individual is probably one to three generations younger than the previous burial. Bryn also emphasized the urgency: "During the inspection, we quickly realized that we were facing a new skeletal grave that was in acute danger of being damaged during the next ploughing." The landowner allowed the team to continue the excavation so the remains and artifacts could be recovered safely.
Next steps
Researchers will clean and conserve the objects, examine the skeleton for stature, sex-defining traits and disease markers, and take samples for radiocarbon dating and DNA analysis. The project aims to learn more about the life of the person, the meanings behind the unusual grave inclusions, and any kinship with the earlier skeleton found at the site.
The discovery underlines how responsible metal detecting, prompt reporting, and collaboration with archaeologists can reveal new and surprising chapters of the past.
