A Viking object, 1000 years, reveals how they probably led their hair

The hair separated in the middle, cropped back to the back, with a wavy lock above an ear. It is not my haircut of choice, but if you were a Viking elite, it could well be.

This is the result of a study published last month in the journal Archaeology Medieval in which the researchers re -examined a playing piece of an inch high (three centimeters) which dates back more than 1,000 years. It was originally discovered among the things of the burial of an alleged Viking warrior in Norway in 1797 and was one of the first objects recorded at the National Museum of Denmark. And now, more than two centuries later, Peter Pentz, a curator in the museum, has (re) discovered characteristics that make the piece really exceptional.

The specimen stands out as a rare Viking representation of a human – a rather fancy character, an expression and haircut.

“When I met him in one of our storage rooms a few years ago, I was really surprised – he was just sitting there, looking at me directly, and I had never seen such a Viking, not since the many years I have been at the museum,” Pentz said in a statement.

A fashionable hairstyle and a clever expression

The little figurine also has a long braided loop, a large mustache, favorites, and carries a “clever” expression. It is part of the museum exhibition on sesses of the Viking age.

The Vikings were maritime warriors who spread from Scandinavia to North America between around 800 and 1050 CE. While art Viking frequently understands animals, humans’ representations are much rarer. As such, the piece gives an overview of something just as limited – the fashionable Viking hairstyle.

“So far, we have not had detailed knowledge on the Viking hairstyles, but here we get all the details – even the little loop above the ear is marked,” said Pentz. “This is the first time that we have seen a figure of a viking male with her visible hair from all angles. It’s unique. “

Of course, the analysis presumes that the manufacturer has portrayed a typical and easy Viking. But then again, why would they give the room a random haircut? (It’s purely my own speculation, to be clear.)

The play recalls the famous and much older of the sleeping lady, whose half -shaved head also has archaeologists wondering if that was how the mysterious temple of the Mediterranean island can have styled their hair.

The king of chess of the Viking age

Nevertheless, Pentz said that “it is exceptional that we have such a living representation of a Viking, even in three dimensions. It is a miniature bust and as close as we will never arrive at a portrait of Viking. ”

The room is sculpted from Walrus Ivory, one of the most prestigious materials of the Viking age, and was the most important room – the king – in Hnefatafl, a game also known as chess of the Viking age. The burial was found to date from the second half of the 10th century, which means that the play itself has more than 1,000 years. Harald Bluetooth – A Danish king known for the unification of Denmark and lending his name to Bluetooth technology – was revised during this period, and the burial was probably in his field.