The Viking Age is one of the most fascinating chapters in human history. Far from being mere savages who raided and pillaged, the Vikings had complex social hierarchies, thriving trade, and cultural exchanges with much of Europe.

In a new study published in Current Swedish Archaeology, researchers Matthias S. Toplak and Lukas Kerk examine two significant forms of body modification from the Viking Age: filed teeth and artificially modified skulls. These modifications were not just cosmetic; they served as powerful symbols of social identity, mobility, and status. And this was especially true on the island of Gotland (Sweden’s largest island), a key site of trade and cultural confluence in the Viking world.

If you ask most people to picture a Viking, they’ll likely conjure an image of a bulky man with a horned helmet and probably tattoos (thanks, Hollywood). But the horned helmet is a myth and there’s little evidence that Vikings actually had tattoos.

However, we do know that they practiced body modification.

How Vikings modified their bodies

The practice of filing teeth, particularly the incisors, was a widespread phenomenon in Viking Age Gotland. The authors of the new study report around 130 male individuals from Scandinavia, many of whom were discovered on Gotland, with evidence of filed teeth in the form of horizontal furrows. These furrows, while seemingly subtle, likely played a key role within Viking society.

Researchers suspect this filing was connected to trade; specifically, it was a symbol of identification among merchants. Essentially, you’d file your teeth to show you belonged to an exclusive group. This theory is supported by the fact that many of the men with filed teeth were buried in cemeteries located near major Viking trade centers. These men were buried with objects such as belts, knives, and brooches — typical markers of a certain social class — but the filed teeth might have acted as a more subtle, yet powerful, marker of their professional identity.

The geographic concentration of this practice in Gotland further supports the idea that tooth filing was a local phenomenon, as Gotland played a unique role in Viking trade networks. Gotland was a critical hub for trade, linking Scandinavia to the broader Baltic world and even beyond to the Byzantine Empire and the Islamic world. The marked teeth of Gotlandic men could thus be seen as part of a larger identity tied to trade. It was a physical symbol of their role as intermediaries in the expansive Viking trade networks.

Even more interestingly, this modification wouldn’t have been evident (like a tattoo). It would typically be concealed beneath the lips or facial hair, making it a form of “exclusive” communication. In other words, the filed teeth could be revealed or hidden depending on the social situation, perhaps only becoming visible during specific interactions or ceremonies. This control over when and how the modification was seen might have added to its power as a social marker.

Vikings imported elongating skulls?

As intriguing as filing teeth is, the skulls of three women are even more puzzling.

Skull modification is a rarer phenomenon in Viking Age Gotland, with only three known cases, all of which are female. These women, buried in cemeteries at Ire and Havor, had artificially elongated skulls. This was an unusual practice in Scandinavia but more commonly associated with Central and Eastern European cultures.

Researchers carried out DNA analysis on the women and found evidence that they came from the Baltic countries, possibly Lithuania. The fact that these skull modifications appear in conjunction with typical Viking burial practices — such as the inclusion of jewelry, weapons, and other grave goods — suggests that these women integrated into Viking society, even if they maintained markers of their foreign origins. The modified skulls might have been a way of signaling a woman’s connection to distant trade routes or foreign cultures. As such, it would enhance her family’s prestige within Gotlandic society.

Basically, by modifying their skulls, these women were showcasing their connections to far-flung regions. For the Vikings that relied so much on trade, this could have been important leverage.

The method would have been used on infants. Modern babies sometimes wear plastic helmets that gradually reshape flat spots or deformities over several months as their brains grow. Historically, many cultures used bandages to slowly alter skull shapes in a similar way. These passive techniques don’t impact cognition or development. But using more forceful methods — like applying weights or straps to actively press on the skull — could put excessive pressure on the brain.

Communicating by modifying your body

The authors argue that these body modifications were not just cosmetic choices but were deeply tied to social status, profession, and cultural identity. Ultimately, these are just the most likely interpretations, say the researchers. There could be other reasons for this type of modification. The only thing we do know for sure is that both tooth filing and skull modification offer compelling examples of how social identity was physically embodied in Viking Age Gotland.

The importance of these modifications lies not just in their physicality but in their ability to convey meaning across different social contexts. A man’s filed teeth might have been a subtle sign of his membership in a merchant guild. Meanwhile, a woman’s elongated skull could have signaled her foreign origins and the prestige of her family’s trade connections.

In a society where oral tradition, reputation, and visual markers of status were key to social interaction, it easy to see how these modifications could have played a crucial role in the way individuals presented themselves and were perceived by others. As the authors conclude, the study of Viking Age body modifications offers valuable insight into how social identities were constructed, communicated, and understood in this fascinating period of Scandinavian history.

The study was published in the journal Current Swedish Archaeology.