When a metal detector beeped on the Norwegian island of Senja, archaeologists suspected it may be Vikings. But they weren’t suspecting anything like this. Just 20 centimeters beneath the soil, they unearthed a remarkable scene frozen in time: a high-ranking Viking woman, laid to rest in a boat, with her faithful dog at her feet.
The greatest treasure
The grave could have easily been lost forever to a farmer’s plow, it was that close to the surface. The metal detector’s initial finding led to a small inspection hole. Just beneath the surface were two oval brooches and human ribs that seemed to belong to a Viking woman. But it wasn’t until a landowner planned to expand a nearby garage that archaeologists from The Arctic University Museum of Norway were able to fully excavate the site.
What they uncovered was a boat, approximately 5.4 meters long, that served as a final resting place for a woman and her canine companion, dating back to around 900-950 CE. Obviously, this was no ordinary burial.
“Only the elite would receive a burial like this,” explains Anja Roth Niemi, an archaeologist at the museum. The practice of interring the dead in boats was a high honor reserved for a select few. Some researchers have suggested that perhaps only one or two individuals per generation were buried in a boat. The woman’s status is also underscored by her grave goods. The oval brooches, typical adornments for Viking women, are a “more refined variety, decorated with silver thread.” While she may not have been at the absolute pinnacle of society, Niemi asserts, “she was clearly an important figure.”
But the most striking element is the dog.
“It appears to have been placed with real care,” Niemi, a museum archaeologist who presumably took part in the excavation, told Science Norway. “There are stories of prominent people doing everything in their power when their dog became ill. So even back then, people had deep bonds with their animals.”
It’s not without precedent for people to be buried alongside their animals, but it’s not common either. This underlines the idea that people cherished their pets dearly, in this life and the next.
“There are stories of prominent people doing everything in their power when their dog became ill. So even back then, people had deep bonds with their animals,” she says.
Viking society
Beyond the fine brooches and the loyal dog, the grave contained other clues about the woman’s life and responsibilities. Archaeologists found beads made of bone or amber, a ring-shaped pendant, a whetstone, and an iron sickle — tools associated with agriculture. They also uncovered what appears to be a weaving sword made of whale bone and a spindle whorl. According to Niemi, overseeing textile production was a traditional duty for the lady of a powerful household, suggesting this woman held significant authority in her community.
The preservation conditions in Northern Norway, particularly in soil rich in lime from old seabeds, have offered scientists a rare opportunity. While the smallest bones, like fingers and toes, had turned to yellow stains in the sand, larger bones and those in contact with the bronze brooches were remarkably well-preserved. “The metal here prevents bacterial growth,” Niemi explains.
Researchers are trying to figure out who the woman was, and in addition, get more clues about what type of society she lived in.
“The skeletal material can provide a wealth of information about the individual, but also about the society she lived in,” says Niemi. “We’ll learn about the kind of work she did, whether she went through periods of poor nutrition, and whether she lived in different places during childhood and adulthood,” she says.
Women in Viking society had remarkably complex roles. Traditionally, scholars thought they had domestic jobs: managing the household, responsible for raising children and producing textiles. However, recent studies contradict that simplistic idea. Not only did they have considerable power at home and possessed legal rights to inherit property and initiate divorce, but they were also warriors and explorers.
The analysis of burials has been particularly groundbreaking; DNA testing confirmed that a high-status warrior grave in Birka, Sweden, filled with weapons, belonged to a woman, challenging long-held assumptions about gender and warfare. Further studies have identified numerous other female graves containing weapons, suggesting that shield-maidens were not mere figures of legend. Research now points to women as active agents in colonization, key figures in trade, powerful landholders, and even influential political and religious leaders, painting a more complex and dynamic picture of a society where women’s power and agency were far more significant than previously believed.
The presence of the dog adds a deeply personal and spiritual dimension to this powerful woman’s burial. Placed with evident care at her feet, the animal was more than just a possession. Its inclusion in such a high-status grave speaks to a profound emotional connection. The woman undoubtedly cared deeply for the dog, and in Viking myth, dogs can be animal companions on the perilous journey to the afterlife. This find on Senja reinforces that the human-animal bond was a significant part of Viking culture, a relationship of love and loyalty deemed important enough to be immortalized in the most sacred of rituals.
Plenty more to discover
The story on Senja may not be over. Just meters from the excavated boat, the team found another oval brooch, a strong indication of another burial.
“There’s reason to believe there’s another grave there, possibly still undisturbed,” says Niemi. In fact, there could be a tradition of burying people along these low beach ridges, not far above the shoreline.
Now, researchers want to return with a tool that’s commonly used to map the subsurface and see what else lies below the ground, before sstarting digging.
“We’d really like to survey the area with ground-penetrating radar to see if there’s more to uncover,” she says.
