For You Lot Data - Csi Tromsø: Where Forensics Meets Vikings

Insect remains stimulate got their ain tale to say inwards the mystery that surrounds the Øsknes Viking burial boat, equally Eva Pangiotakopulu in addition to colleagues investigate inwards their recent PLOS ONE study.

Viking Burial Stones inwards Aalborg, Kingdom of Denmark [Credit: Eric Gross/Flickr]

Over the years many Viking burial boats stimulate got been unearthed throughout Scandinavia providing us amongst valuable insights into the past. However, 1 boat unearthed inwards 1934 inwards north-eastern Kingdom of Norway has maybe provided to a greater extent than questions than answers equally no prove of a trunk was e'er found.

For close a century, researchers stimulate got wondered whether the boat e'er housed a trunk or whether it was precisely buried equally an empty grave. To endeavor to unravel the mystery Eva Pangiotakopulu from the University of Edinburgh, UK, teamed upwards amongst Stephen Wickler from University of Tromsø in addition to independent researcher Paul Buckland, inwards the hopes of finding forensic prove that mightiness furnish to a greater extent than or less to a greater extent than clues.

Location of the site [Credit: PLOS]

To get their search, the squad revisited the earthworks results published past times the Pb archeologist at the time, Gutorm Gjessing. The notes depict how the boat was originally constitute during route structure inwards Øksnes inwards the remote Vesteralen Islands. Like many burials, the boat was constitute nether a modest mound of public inside a modest rock circle or kerbing.

Placed inside the boat, Gjessing constitute several items including a modest atomic issue 26 axe, to a greater extent than or less pilus from fragments of fauna cover in addition to a volume of feathers amongst fragments of woollen stuff which the archeologist idea could stimulate got been pillow or duvet. All the clues in addition to graves goods suggested that the site was indeed a burial ground, but the lack of a trunk was puzzling.

Man of Rendswühren [Credit: WikiCommons]

At the time, Gjessing wondered whether the acidity of peat bog weather condition constitute inwards Øksnes had destroyed the body, but equally the squad today points out, bogs are notoriously adept at preserving bodies – precisely await at the “bog body” of the Man of Rendswühren constitute inwards Germany.

Luckily for Pangiotakopulu in addition to the team, the feathers from the Øksnes site had been good preserved at Tromsø University Museum in addition to inwards 2 visits to the museum, the squad were able to meticulously sift through a component of the plumage thing to await for insect remains. By comparison the insect fragments to the Osborne Collection of Coleoptera beetles housed at the University of Edinburgh in addition to other published classification keys used to position insect species, the researchers painstakingly fix out to position all the footling põrnikas fragments.

Pillow Feathers preserved at Tromsø University Museum [Credit: PLOS]

In total they constitute sixteen unlike types of insects, including several species of beetle that are typically constitute inwards hay which may stimulate got been used inwards the send to continue cargo inwards place. Intriguingly, they equally good constitute prove of the raspberry beetle Byturus tormentosus which, equally its mutual cite suggests, feeds on the flowers of raspberry plants in addition to lays eggs inwards the developing fruit.

Pangiotakopulu in addition to her colleagues speculate that raspberry flowers may stimulate got been used at the grave in addition to indeed other burials stimulate got constitute prove of flowers beingness used equally piece of employment of the Viking funerary process. Knowing that the flowering flavor for raspberry plants inwards Kingdom of Norway tends to live towards belatedly June or July the squad suspect that the burial may stimulate got taken house inwards belatedly summer.

Flea fragments [Credit: PLOS]

The root clue of human presence was the regain of 35 fragments of the human flea, Pulex irritans, inside the feathers. This was somewhat perplexing equally human fleas, amongst their gustation for blood, aren’t known for their powerfulness to endure away from the hosts for long periods of time. It’s possible that the pillow used inwards the burial basis may stimulate got been introduce inwards the expiry bed of the deceased in addition to the fleas fled their host upon expiry into the feathers amongst no escape route after the burial had taken place. However, the most interesting clues came from the presence (and absence) of to a greater extent than or less insects known to live associated amongst decaying bodies.

In carefully sifting through all the fragments the iii researchers constitute 12 remnants belonging to Protophormia terraenovae pupae.  More commonly known equally blow flies, P. terraenovae larvae taste feasting on dead flesh in addition to adult flies tin flame suss out fauna in addition to human corpses inside minutes. As such, blow wing remnants are adept forensic indicators of early on decay in addition to the fragments constitute are 1 of the strongest clues that a trunk was introduce inwards the burial grounds. Interestingly, the squad didn’t honor prove of insects normally associated amongst afterwards stages of decay which suggests that the trunk was in all likelihood removed presently after burial.

Without a body, nosotros may never know conclusively whether the site was a burial ground, but the forensic clues furnish the root potent prove that a trunk was buried towards the halt of summertime but really apace removed for unknown reasons. So, whilst 1 mystery has been position to rest, it seems that to a greater extent than or less other unanswered inquiry emerges from the Øksnes boat burial.

Author: Nicola Stead | Source: PLOS Blogs [August 22, 2018]


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