挪威出土的維京時代寶藏

考古學家在挪威西海岸菲賈爾的斯庫姆斯內斯農場的一個寶庫中發現了維京時代的豐富歷史。挖掘過程中發現了三座九世紀早期的高地位女性墳墓。該地點可能有多達20座墳墓。

Archaeologists have uncovered a treasure trove of Viking Age history at Skumsnes farm in Fitjar, on Norway’s west coast. Three graves of high-status women from the early ninth century have been discovered during excavations, and there may be as many as 20 graves at the site.

考古學家在挪威西海岸菲賈爾的斯庫姆斯內斯農場發現了維京時代歷史的寶庫。發掘過程中發現了三座9世紀早期的高地位女性墳墓，現場可能有多達20座墳墓。

These graves, in contrast to many other locations, were lavishly decorated, indicating a community of significant wealth and importance. The discoveries, which include valuable jewelry, rare coins, and textile-making implements, offer a singular window into the social organization, commercial relationships, and cultural customs of the time.

與許多其他地點相比，這些墳墓裝飾華麗，表明這是一個擁有巨大財富和重要性的社區。這些發現包括珍貴的珠寶、稀有的硬幣和紡織工具，為了解當時的社會組織、商業關係和文化習俗提供了一個獨特的窗口。

“Many of the buried individuals were adorned with fine jewelry. It is remarkable to find a burial ground with such well-preserved artifacts,” says archaeologist Søren Diinhoff from the University Museum of Bergen.

「許多被埋葬的人都戴著精美的珠寶。卑爾根大學博物館的考古學家索倫·迪因霍夫 (Søren Diinhoff) 表示：“發現一個墓地裡藏有保存如此完好的文物，真是太了不起了。”

Diinhoff describes the discovery as “a small treasure trove” for researchers.

迪因霍夫將這項發現描述為研究人員的「一個小寶庫」。

Three women from a large farm in SkumsnesThe graves belonged to three women who lived in the first half of the ninth century, during the early Viking Age. Skumsnes had a sizable farm at the time. It most likely belonged to a western Norwegian king, either local or regional.

來自斯庫姆斯內斯一個大農場的三名婦女這些墳墓屬於生活在九世紀上半葉維京時代早期的三名婦女。斯庫姆斯內斯當時擁有一個相當大的農場。它很可能屬於挪威西部的一位國王，無論是當地的還是地區的。

The farm’s location along the coast probably made it attractive to travelers in need of a safe harbor.

該農場位於海岸邊，可能對需要安全港的旅客具有吸引力。

“On behalf of the king, shelter was provided to passing ships, which likely generated additional income,” says Diinhoff. This explains why the graves are richer than those more commonly found.

「代表國王為過往船隻提供庇護，這可能會帶來額外收入，」迪因霍夫說。這就解釋了為什麼這些墳墓比那些更常見的墳墓更豐富。

The graves unearthed this autumn of three women, each with distinctive burial practices:

今年秋天出土了三位女性的墳墓，每個人都有獨特的埋葬習俗：

Grave in the Rock Crevice: Her grave was covered in stones, and she was buried in a naturally occurring rock formation. Her jewelry, which reflected ties outside of Norway, included oval brooches and other pieces that probably came from England or Ireland.

岩石縫隙中的墳墓：她的墳墓被石頭覆蓋，她被埋在自然形成的岩層中。她的珠寶反映了挪威以外的領帶，包括橢圓形胸針和其他可能來自英格蘭或愛爾蘭的首飾。

The Boat Grave: The most ornate burial was for a high-ranking woman. The four-meter-long boat in which she was buried had stones arranged to resemble a ship. Eleven silver coins, including one from Hedeby and some Carolingian, 46 glass beads, and textile-making implements like a weaving sword and a spindle whorl were among her grave goods. Additionally discovered was a bronze key that represented her position as the head of the household. There were no human remains found, which raised the possibility that this grave was a cenotaph.

船墓：最華麗的墓葬是為一位高級女性設計的。埋葬她的四公尺長的船上，用石頭排列成船的形狀。她的隨葬品包括 11 枚銀幣（其中一枚來自赫德比銀幣和一些加洛林銀幣）、46 顆玻璃珠以及紡織劍和紡錘螺紋等紡織工具。此外還發現了一把代表她作為一家之主地位的青銅鑰匙。沒有發現人類遺骸，這提出了該墳墓可能是衣冠塚的可能性。

There was also a stone in the middle of the boat grave marking the mast of the boat. When the archaeologists turned it over, they saw that it resembled a ‘vulva stone’ – the stone looked like female genitalia.

船墳中央還有一塊石頭，標誌著船的桅杆。當考古學家把它翻過來時，他們發現它就像一塊「外陰石」——這塊石頭看起來像女性的生殖器。

Archaeologists believe it is no coincidence that the stone looks like a woman. The stone was probably placed there to symbolize a woman who was not buried in the tomb. This theory provides a potential explanation for why the items in question were not discovered on a skeleton.

考古學家認為這塊石頭看起來像一個女人並非巧合。這塊石頭放在那裡可能是為了象徵一個沒有埋在墳墓裡的女人。這個理論為為什麼沒有在骨架上發現有問題的物品提供了一個可能的解釋。

The discovery of a Hedeby coin in this tomb is one of the most remarkable findings. This coin, which was struck in early 9th-century southern Denmark, highlights the Viking Age’s vast trading networks. Additional coins from the Carolingian Empire found in the boat grave point to ties to the Frankish continent.

在這座墳墓中發現的赫德比硬幣是最引人注目的發現之一。這枚硬幣於 9 世紀初丹麥南部鑄造，凸顯了維京時代龐大的貿易網絡。在船墓中發現的其他加洛林帝國的硬幣表明與法蘭克大陸有聯繫。

The 46-bead necklace emphasizes even more how international the Viking Age trade was. In towns like Birka, Hedeby, Ribe, and Kaupang, mosaic glass beads from as far away as the Middle East and Europe were popular, highlighting the Viking world’s interconnectedness.

這條 46 顆珠子的項鍊更凸顯了維京時代貿易的國際化程度。在比爾卡、赫德比、裡伯和考龐等城鎮，來自中東和歐洲的馬賽克玻璃珠很受歡迎，凸顯了維京世界的相互連結。

“Both of these women had contacts outside Norway. It’s probably no coincidence. Perhaps they came from abroad and married into the local community,” Diinhoff speculates.

「這兩名女性在挪威以外都有人脈。這可能不是巧合。也許他們來自國外並融入了當地社區，」迪因霍夫推測。

Fabric production was important in Viking society, as evidenced by the textile tools found in the boat grave. The inclusion of a weaving sword, a hetchel, and wool shears represents not only domestic responsibilities but also the financial influence that women have when running extensive textile businesses. A valuable commodity during the Viking Age, fine textiles—especially sails—were frequently associated with wealth and prestige.

織物生產在維京社會中非常重要，船墓中發現的紡織工具證明了這一點。織劍、海切爾和羊毛剪的加入不僅代表了家庭責任，也代表了婦女在經營廣泛的紡織企業時所具有的財務影響力。在維京時代，精美的紡織品（尤其是帆）是一種珍貴的商品，常常與財富和聲望聯繫在一起。

The Unfinished Grave: The third burial has not been fully excavated but yielded beads and fragments of silver jewelry, hinting at its wealth.

未完成的墳墓：第三座墓穴尚未完全挖掘，但出土了珠子和銀首飾碎片，暗示著它的財富。

Archaeologists have also identified two additional graves and believe there could be as many as 20 graves in the area. Metal detectors have picked up signals in multiple spots.

考古學家還發現了另外兩個墳墓，並認為該地區可能有多達 20 個墳墓。金屬探測器在多個地點偵測到訊號。

These graves highlight the important roles that women played in Viking Age society, not only as heads of the home but also as key players in production, trade, and community leadership.

這些墳墓突顯了女性在維京時代社會中發揮的重要作用，她們不僅是一家之主，而且是生產、貿易和社區領導的關鍵角色。