Viking Woman Buried With Shells On Her Mouth Found In Norway

Discovered just eight inches beneath a working farm in the village of Bjugn, this unprecedented Viking burial has left archaeologists baffled — all the more so because she was surrounded by bird bones.

While recently sweeping his metal detector across the ground in Trøndelag, Norway, hobby detectorist Roy Søreng got a hit. He found a buckle — which soon helped lead archaeologists to the 1,200-year-old grave of a Viking woman.

But this one was unlike any grave that they had ever encountered before: The woman was carefully laid to rest with scallop shells placed atop her mouth.

For now, researchers aren’t sure what the placement of the shells could mean. But this find is nevertheless an exciting one, especially since the grave was detected just before plowing that could have destroyed it