A team of archaeologists has unearthed a mysterious Viking-era animal figure at the Fjörður farm, an excavation site in Seydisfjordur, Iceland. The toy-like figure is made of soft volcanic rocks and is over 1,000 years old. The most fascinating aspect of this discovery is that the toy has characteristics of three animals; a pig, a bear, and an Icelandic dog. However, exactly which animal it represents remains a mystery even to the researchers. 

The animal figure is 5 cm long and reaches 2.7 cm in height. In the last five years, the Fjörður excavation site, where the toy was found, has emerged as a treasure trove of ancient artifacts. This year alone 600 artifacts were unearthed from the site. 

About five years ago, Iceland’s government decided to build an avalanche protection wall in Seydisfjordur. Since the town was once inhabited by Vikings, and given its historical importance, they decided to conduct archaeological excavations in the area first. The excavation was initially planned for two years. However, it has been going on for the last five years and, so far, 4,000 ancient artifacts have been recovered from the area.

“It is probably the most exciting excavation I have ever been involved in,” Knut Paasche, one of the researchers and head of the department for digital Archaeology at the Norwegian Institute for Cultural Heritage Research (NIKU), said. 

Different opinions about the mystery toy

When the researchers first came across the animal figure, most of them thought it depicted a pig. Since Vikings also domesticated pigs, this assumption made sense. 

However, two of the archaeologists were convinced that the toy represented not a pig but a bear. Although Iceland doesn’t have native bear species, polar bears from Greenland sometimes visit the country. It is possible bears were an attraction for Viking children, and therefore people might make toys resembling the animals for their kids.  

To clear up this confusion and examine its physical features and movements, the researchers developed a 3D model of the animal figure. When they posted the images of the toy and its 3D model on Facebook, a new possibility emerged. Many Facebook users claimed that the artifact actually depicted an Icelandic dog. 

“But when you hold the object, it doesn’t seem like a dog. We are examining the object more closely, we still interpret it as a toy, but there are various opinions on what kind of animal it is,” Ragnheiður Traustadóttir, one of the researchers told Austurfrétt. 

What’s more confusing is that many of these opinions are backed by valid reasons and historical context, making it even more challenging for the researchers to identify which animal the toy depicts. 

Who made the animal figure?

The mystery toy was found inside an old hut dating between 940 and 1000 AD. It was discovered along with 100 other artifacts that are probably pieces of a Viking board game.

“Nearly 100 Viking game pieces from a board game called “hnefatafl” that were crafted from the same type of stone as the toy. It’s impossible to know exactly who carved these objects and why,” Traustadóttir said.

However, it is possible the maker of the board game pieces was left with some extra material that they used to make the animal figure.

“Someone sat in the winter night, in the dark, carving chess pieces, and then this animal for a child,” Traustadóttir added.

The researchers are still busy excavating the Fjörður farm. They plan to further examine the animal figure once they are done with the excavations. Hopefully, future research will unravel all the mysteries linked to the origin and physical appearance of the animal figure.

You can visit this website to learn more about the discoveries from Seydisfjordur.