The Vikings who established homes in the lands they conquered during the 9th-11th centuries AD used a settlement pattern that was based primarily on their own Scandinavian cultural heritage. That pattern, contrary to the image of the Viking raider, was to live on isolated, regularly spaced farmsteads surrounded by grain fields.
Full Answer
What was the settlement pattern of the Vikings?
The Vikings who established homes in the lands they conquered during the 9th-11th centuries AD used a settlement pattern that was based primarily on their own Scandinavian cultural heritage. That pattern, contrary to the image of the Viking raider, was to live on isolated, regularly spaced farmsteads surrounded by grain fields.
What did people look like in the Vikings?
Overall, Scandinavians had softer brows and jawlines during the Viking Age. Fair hair and complexions were common, but not ubiquitous. Dark hair was common, and red hair had a higher prevalence in Norwegian Vikings compared to the general population of Europe.
What was the difference between the eastern and Western Viking settlements?
Of the two Viking settlements, the Western Settlement was both smaller and more marginal. With some 90 farms, it was a quarter the size of the Eastern Settlement and may have housed 1000 people at its peak, possibly only half that. It was much further north and had a two-month shorter growing season and a longer winter.
What is the most important Viking settlement in the world?
The best-known is at Borg on the island of Vestvågøy, home to the biggest Viking-era longhouse remains ever discovered. It tells a story of wealth and power. Today, the reconstructed longhouse at the Lofotr museum at Borg gives visitors a glimpse of the era.
What were Viking settlements like?
They lived in long rectangular houses made with upright timbers (wood). The walls were made of wattle (woven sticks, covered with mud to keep out the wind and rain). Viking houses were often one room homes with a cooking fire in the middle. The smoke escaped through a hole in the roof.
Did Viking settlements have walls?
Viking houses were built of wood. The longhouses had bowed walls in plan, forming a ship-like outline. The walls were lined with clay or consisted of wooden planks placed vertically into the ground, which supported the roof, along with two rows of internal posts. Outside the house was often supported by sloping posts.
How many people are in a Viking village?
This was the main building in the community and would sometimes house up to 30 - 50 people. During this time, large family units lived together and multiple generations would share the same household. Let's take a look at some of the features of the Viking household.
What was a Viking settlement called?
When the Vikings settled in York, they clearly had trouble saying the Saxon name for the city: Eoforwic (which is thought to mean wild boar settlement), so decided to call it Jorvik (thought to mean wild boar creek).
What buildings were in a Viking settlement?
Structures in Viking settlements—dwellings, storage facilities, and barns—were built with stone foundations and had walls made of stone, peat, sod turfs, wood, or a combination of these materials. Religious structures were also present in Viking settlements.
How many rooms did a Viking house have?
one room homesViking houses were often one room homes with a cooking fire in the middle. The smoke escaped through a hole in the roof. Animals and people lived in the same building. The animals lived in a byre at one end of the house and the people lived at the other.
What age did Vikings get married?
Viking women married young—as early as 12 years old. By the age of 20, virtually all men and women were married. Life expectancy was about 50 years, but most died long before reaching 50. Only a few lived to 60.
What was the life expectancy of a Viking?
around 40-50 years oldThe Vikings typically lived to be around 40-50 years old. But there are also examples of upper class Vikings who lived longer – for instance Harald Fairhair, who was King of Norway for more than 60 years.
How did the Vikings sleep?
At night, Vikings might pull them up on land. They'd take the sail down and lay it across the ship to make a tent to sleep under. Or, they'd pitch woollen tents onshore. If the crew was far out to sea they'd sleep on deck under blankets made from animal skin.
Are there any Viking settlements left?
Viking settlements in Sweden Modern-day Sweden has most of the remaining Viking runestones, along with evidence of significant settlements.
What ended the Viking Age?
793 AD – 1066Viking Age / Period
Do Viking villages still exist?
For almost 20 years, he worked to establish the permanent Viking village Njardarheimr, which finally opened in 2017. The village is built to scale at a stunning location in the innermost part of beautiful Nærøyfjord. “It's authentic in style and built by traditional methods.
Did Vikings use bricks?
Until 1624, Oslo was like any other Norse town (many wooden buildings together used for varying purposes), but in 1624, a fire burned down all of Oslo. Because of the fires, the King Christian IV moved Oslo west and ordered that all buildings in the city be built of stone or brick to prevent fires.
What is a Viking longhouse?
Viking Longhouses Vikings lived in elongated, rectangular structures called longhouses. Across the Viking world, most houses had timber frames but, where wood was scarce, stone and turf were also used as construction materials. The walls were often made of wattle and daub or timber planking, with a grass roof.
Are there any Viking longhouses still standing?
In Aðalstræti, the oldest street in the capital city of Iceland remains of a Viking longhouse were unearthed back in 2001. It is believed that this longhouse dates back to around 870. This might even be the longhouse of the first settler of Iceland, Ingólfur Arnarson, who settled Reykjavík.
Are there any Viking settlements left?
Viking settlements in Sweden Modern-day Sweden has most of the remaining Viking runestones, along with evidence of significant settlements.
Who lived in these communities?
Men, women and children lived in settlements throughout Scandinavia. Typically these were along the coast of the sea or a fjord. This is where the land was most suitable for farming, along with good opportunities for fishing and transport.
Where is Borre in Norway?
Another important site in modern-day Norway is Borre. The Borre burial mounds are evidence of a significant settlement here in south-east Norway, close to the Oslofjord. Today, the Midgard Viking Centre is a popular tourist attractions.
Where is the Viking Village?
The Viking Village at Avaldsnes in western Norway.
Where is the first viking king?
Avaldsnes. On the west coast of Norway, Avaldsnes was home to Norway's first viking king, Harald Hårfagre. Known as Harald Fairhair in English, he is believed to be the first person to unite Norway's kingdoms under a single crown. Today, the area plays host to the Nordvegen History Centre and a Viking Village.
What is the difference between modern techniques and ancient studies?
In contrast, modern techniques use osteology and isotope analysis.
What were the early towns built for?
Beyond farming communities, the early ‘towns' were primarily built for trade. These would be partly marketplaces, and partly points for import and export.
Where did the Norsemen live?
The Norsemen made their mark in northern Europe and beyond. Come with us on a tour of the best-known Viking settlements. Thanks in part to a slew of TV shows, Viking culture has never been more popular. While the battle scenes are mostly fantasy, many are curious about the depiction of everyday life.
Why did the Vikings travel?
And because the environment could be very different than it is in Scandinavia, they would often adapt their houses to the surrounding area.
Why are Viking longhouses curved?
The truss framework also gave the walls the curved shape that we all know, because some of the weight from the roof was pushed out on some of the posts that supported the roof. Inside a Viking longhouse. The longhouses were not easy to build, it was very time-consuming and demanded a lot of manpower.
How many people could live in a Viking longhouse?
In fact, these longhouses had so much room that 30-50 people could live here, including their slaves (A slave is called ”Træl” in Danish) and animals. Viking longhouse at Trelleborg, Denmark Photo: by Schorle. A longhouse was on average 30 meters long and 8 meters wide in the middle.
What animals did the Vikings have?
The Vikings had many different kinds of animals such as sheep, goats, pigs, and cattle, but they also had pets such as cats to help kill the rodents such as mice. In the early Viking age, we start to see that the houses become bigger and wider than it was in the iron age, and the Viking longhouse is a good example of that.
Why was hospitality important in the Viking Age?
In the Viking age, hospitality was very important to the people because you never really knew who the wanderer who knocked on your door really was. The God Odin was known to travel around Midgard, but merchants and other travelers could also turn up at your doorstep.
How big is a longhouse?
A longhouse was on average 30 meters long and 8 meters wide in the middle . However, there has been found both smaller and bigger longhouses, and they were always a little bit different in appearance from location to location. Along the borders around the farm there where a fence to keep the animals from running away.
What was the main building on a farm?
On a farm like this the main building was typically the longhouse, here, the family sat and enjoyed their meals, rested, and slept. Next, to the longhouse, there could be other buildings such as barns, stables, or workshops.
What is the turd in York?
One of the museum’s prized exhibits is called the Lloyds Bank Turd, a coprolite. Essentially it’s a large piece of fossilised human faeces that was found under the current site of Lloyds Bank.
What did the Vikings bring to Europe?
So, in fact, you could argue that the Vikings brought a huge amount of economic dynamism and trade through this informal empire, this network, that by that stage stretched across western Europe.
Where is Ivar the Boneless buried?
Biddle thinks this could be Ivar the Boneless, who was one of the most infamous Vikings of the 9th century. Perhaps he could have been buried here in Repton. Then I went to York, which became the centre of Viking settlements in the British Isles.
Why have we forgotten rivers?
We’ve forgotten now, because our rivers are shallow and encroached on, we’ve built embankments and dykes, but rivers in the past were mighty highways that ran through this country .
Where is the phenomenal site in Torksey?
Torksey. Archaeologists have recently discovered phenomenal site in Torksey, on the north bank of the River Trent, that has yielded tens of thousands of metal finds over the years.
Who destroyed the Church of Mercia?
It was then effectively wiped from the history books having been totally destroyed by the Vikings, who then stayed there.
Where did the Vikings settle?
And as it turns out, the genetic material highway flowed both ways. [7] . Scientists have found Scandinavian genetic markers in modern-day populations throughout Europe supporting long-held beliefs that: Vikings from what is now Norway settled in parts of Ireland, Scotland, Iceland, and Greenland.
How Tall Were the Vikings?
If the harrowing accounts of Viking raids and conquests are to be believed, the warrior Norsemen were larger-than-life figures whose imposing physical attributes added an element of intimidation to their violent ways.
What Color Hair did the Vikings Have?
Although archaeological discoveries of Viking weapons caches and treasure troves make for the biggest headlines, among the most common Viking artifacts that have been recovered are personal grooming items.
What Clothes Did the Vikings Wear?
Fortunately, enough fragments of cloth have been recovered by archaeologists to enable the methodical piecing together of the types of garments worn by Viking men and women over a millennium ago.
Why did Vikings wear black eyeliner?
Aside from enhancing their appearance (at least, by Viking Age standards), the black eyeliner worn by the Vikings may have also had the practical effect of reducing glare from the sun , much like the eye black worn by many baseball and football players today.
Why are the Vikings considered an enigma?
The Vikings are something of an enigma largely because the ancient Norse people did not document themselves, and therefore , the historical record lacks reliable material about them.
What was the name of the eyeliner used in medieval times?
It is believed that this medieval eyeliner was, in fact, kohl, a dark-colored cosmetic that was popular in areas of the Middle East, the Mediterranean, and parts of northern Africa. Also known as kuhl in Arabic. The Viking eye makeup was likely produced from a mixture of: Ground antimony. Burnt almonds. Lead.
What were the advantages of the Greenland settlement?
The settlers farmed, but at much lower intensity than in the Eastern Settlement. There were advantages, however. The location was less susceptible to Atlantic storms that could reach the southern tip of Greenland, it had much less drift ice, and was much closer to the walrus hunting region in Disko Bay.
Why was the leader of the Eastern Settlement asked to go to the Western Settlement?
He was asked by the leader of the Eastern Settlement to go there because of reports that the ‘skraelings’ (Inuit) had taken over the site. He took several ships and an armed party, and sailed up the Ameralik and Lysufjord fjord to the largest farm where he investigated six farms, four small and two large. His findings made it clear that no taxes should be expected from it:
Why did Bardarson go on shore?
It mentions that they went on shore to kill the roaming animals (for meat, presumably). Bardarson concluded that the settlement had failed completely after an attack by the Inuit. The details are dubious. The style of writing is clearly different and sketchy compared to the rest of his writing and seems to have been written by someone else. Cattle and horses would not have survived the winter and feral cattle are therefore implausible. Sheep and goats are hardier. It seems fair to assume he went and found it to be deserted, but details such as the feral cattle seem dubious. The destruction that is mentioned is also not supported by the archaeology which only found abandonment: there is no indication for any outside attack. The failure lay within.
What caused the cold winters in Greenland?
The Pinatubo eruption of 1991 also led to two cold winters in western Greenland, with temperatures of 2 to 3 C below average. The area around the Western Settlement had the largest change, and seems to be the most sensitive. This is because the sea here is normally ice-free, but a very cold winter can bring in the ice.
What was the solution to the mystery of the Western Settlement?
The possible solution to the mystery of the Western Settlement came from an unexpected angle: flies. When the Vikings came, they brought their insects with them as unwanted cargo. Some lived in the houses, some on the meat, some in the manure.
How long was the farm under the sand?
An important investigation was done at the so-called ‘farm under the sand’ (‘GUS’ on maps). The remains of the farm were discovered under a thick layer of sand and gravel, along the bank of a small river. The small farm had been used for a long period of time, 300 years: it may have dated from the very first settlement. But it was not inhabited continuously. There were at least two periods when it was unoccupied and only roaming animals entered. In both cases the farm was subsequently rebuild and re-occupied. The times when it stood empty may have to do with overgrazing, or it may be normal family politics where children marry and move on, leaving no one to take over the parental firm. The farm was abandoned for the final time sometime after 1310. The end was caused by the small river: the site was overrun by river sand, presumably after flooding. (When the farm was found, it was covered in 1.5 meter of sand and gravel. However, this was deposited a few hundred years later, when the nearby glacier had expanded.) After every abandonment, including the final one, sheep kept visiting the now empty building. It was part of a normal cycle, with as only difference that after the last abandonment, no one ever returned. One of the rooms had been emptied and locked. The valuables had been taken: this was an organized evacuation, not a disaster.
What would have happened if the Western Settlement had ice?
If this had happened in the time of the Western Settlement, the ice would have made it very difficult to reach the seal areas at the head of the fjord in time for the spring hunt , while late grass growth would have reduced the amount and quality of the hay.
How Tall Were Vikings?
Vikings were likely quite tall even by modern standards, with adult Norse males in Sweden, Norway, and England found to average around 176 cm (5 ft 9¼ in) in height, compared to 175.3 cm (5 ft 8⅞ in) in modern-day USA and England. The taller Vikings reached around 190 cm and the shorter around 170 cm.
What Hair Colors Did Vikings Mostly Have?
Vikings were mostly blond (with Danes specifically being mostly red-haired) according to skeletal DNA studies, but identifying as “Viking” wasn’t limited to people with Scandinavian ancestry ( vikingr just means “pirate” after all). In fact, Vikings were likely more dark-haired than Scandinavians are today.
What Are Viking Facial Features?
It is believed that Vikings had more gender-neutral facial features than Scandinavians today, meaning males and females had more similar characteristics. Females had stronger jawlines in general, while men had slimmer faces.
What Do We Know About Viking Beards?
Vikings were often described and depicted with well-groomed and sometimes elaborate facial hair, ranging from full and long beards to more practical Viking-style mutton chops and mustaches. Historians believe that most Norse men had facial hair, and those who didn’t were even mocked for it according to the sagas.
What Eye Colors Did Vikings Have?
Vikings largely had similar genetic markers linked to eye color as modern-day Scandinavians according to a massive Viking DNA study published in 2020, meaning the vast majority (50-80+% depending on region) would have blue, green, or hazel eyes following the findings in Peter Frost’s European hair and eye color.
Were Vikings Clean or Dirty?
Vikings were known as clean and hygienic compared to the Anglo-Saxons in England, but for the muslim chronicler Ibn Fadlan their way of cleaning themselves seemed disgusting.
Did Vikings Have Tattoos?
Viking merchants were noted for their many tattoos by the muslim chronicler Ibn Fadlan, but that is the only real evidence of viking tattoos that we know of, meaning it’s not very likely to be a wide-spread phenomenon in the Norse world.
Landnám and Shieling
- The traditional Scandinavian farming economy (called landnám) included a focus on barley and domesticated sheep, goats, cattle, pigs, and horses. Marine resources exploited by Norse colonists included seaweed, fish, shellfish, and whale. Seabirds were exploited for their eggs an…
Farmsteads in The Faroe Islands
- In the Faroe Islands, Viking settlement began in the mid-ninth century, and research on the farmsteads there (Arge, 2014) has identified several farmsteads that were continually inhabited for centuries. Some of the farmsteads in existence in the Faroes today are in the same locations as those settled during the Viking landnám period. That longevity has created 'farm-mounds', wh…
Toftanes: An Early Viking Farm in The Faroes
Other Viking Settlements
- Hofstaðir, Iceland
- Garðar, Greenland
- Beginish Island, Ireland
- Áth Cliath, Ireland
Sources
- Adderley WP, Simpson IA, and Vésteinsson O. 2008. Local-Scale Adaptations: A Modeled Assessment of Soil, Landscape, Microclimatic, and Management Factors in Norse Home-Field Productivities. Geoarchaeology23(4):500–527. Arge SV. 2014. Viking Faroes: Settlement, Paleoeconomy, and Chronology. Journal of the North Atlantic7:1-17. Barrett JH, Beukens RP, an…
Who Lived in These Communities?
Viking Settlements in Norway
Viking Settlements in Denmark
Viking Settlements in Sweden
Viking Settlements in Iceland
Viking Settlements in The UK and Ireland
- The British Isles were an early target of Viking explorers. In fact, the attack on Lindisfarne is often perceived as the start of the Viking Age. Norse migrants settled in many islands that are now part of Scotland, including Shetland and the Hebrides. As it was closer to Scandinavia, Shetland attracted families rather than just male settlers who w...
Settlements Elsewhere in Europe & Beyond
Where Is Kattegat?