挪威出土的维京时代宝藏

考古学家在挪威西海岸菲贾尔的斯库姆斯内斯农场的一个宝库中发现了维京时代的丰富历史。挖掘过程中发现了三座九世纪早期的高地位女性坟墓。该地点可能有多达20座坟墓。

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.

考古学家在挪威西海岸菲贾尔的斯库姆斯内斯农场发现了维京时代历史的宝库。发掘过程中发现了三座九世纪早期的高地位女性坟墓，现场可能有多达20座坟墓。

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.

与许多其他地点相比，这些坟墓装饰华丽，表明这是一个拥有巨大财富和重要性的社区。这些发现包括珍贵的珠宝、稀有的硬币和纺织工具，为了解当时的社会组织、商业关系和文化习俗提供了一个独特的窗口。

“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.

“许多被埋葬的人都佩戴着精美的珠宝。卑尔根大学博物馆的考古学家索伦·迪因霍夫 (Søren Diinhoff) 表示：“发现一个墓地里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.

迪因霍夫将这一发现描述为研究人员的“一个小宝库”。

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.

来自斯库姆斯内斯一个大农场的三名妇女这些坟墓属于生活在九世纪上半叶维京时代早期的三名妇女。斯库姆斯内斯当时拥有一个相当大的农场。它很可能属于挪威西部的一位国王，无论是当地的还是地区的。

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

该农场位于海岸边，可能对需要安全港的旅行者具有吸引力。

“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.

“代表国王为过往船只提供庇护，这可能会带来额外收入，”迪因霍夫说。这就解释了为什么这些坟墓比那些更常见的坟墓更丰富。

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

今年秋天出土了三名女性的坟墓，每人都有独特的埋葬习俗：

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.

岩石缝隙中的坟墓：她的坟墓被石头覆盖，她被埋在自然形成的岩层中。她的珠宝反映了挪威以外的领带，包括椭圆形胸针和其他可能来自英格兰或爱尔兰的首饰。

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：最华丽的墓葬是为一位高级女性而设计的。埋葬她的四米长的船上，用石头排列成船的样子。她的随葬品包括 11 枚银币（其中一枚来自赫德比银币和一些加洛林银币）、46 颗玻璃珠以及织剑和纺锤螺纹等纺织工具。此外还发现了一把代表她作为一家之主地位的青铜钥匙。没有发现人类遗骸，这提出了该坟墓可能是衣冠冢的可能性。

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.

船坟中央还有一块石头，标志着船的桅杆。当考古学家把它翻过来时，他们发现它就像一块“外阴石”——这块石头看起来像女性的生殖器。

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.

考古学家认为这块石头看起来像一个女人并非巧合。这块石头放在那里可能是为了象征一个没有埋在坟墓里的女人。这一理论为为什么没有在骨架上发现相关物品提供了可能的解释。

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.

在这座坟墓中发现的赫德比硬币是最引人注目的发现之一。这枚硬币于 9 世纪初丹麦南部铸造，凸显了维京时代庞大的贸易网络​​。在船墓中发现的其他加洛林帝国的硬币表明与法兰克大陆有联系。

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.

这条 46 颗珠子的项链更加凸显了维京时代贸易的国际化程度。在比尔卡、赫德比、里伯和考庞等城镇，来自中东和欧洲的马赛克玻璃珠很受欢迎，凸显了维京世界的相互联系。

“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.

“这两名女性在挪威以外都有人脉。这可能不是巧合。也许他们来自国外并融入了当地社区，”迪因霍夫推测。

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.

织物生产在维京社会中非常重要，船墓中发现的纺织工具就证明了这一点。织剑、海切尔和羊毛剪的加入不仅代表了家庭责任，还代表了妇女在经营广泛的纺织企业时所具有的财务影响力。在维京时代，精美的纺织品（尤其是帆）是一种珍贵的商品，常常与财富和声望联系在一起。

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

未完成的坟墓：第三座墓穴尚未完全挖掘，但出土了珠子和银首饰碎片，暗示着它的财富。

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.

考古学家还发现了另外两个坟墓，并认为该地区可能有多达 20 个坟墓。金属探测器在多个地点检测到信号。

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.

这些坟墓突显了女性在维京时代社会中发挥的重要作用，她们不仅是一家之主，而且是生产、贸易和社区领导的关键角色。