Discovered 1,000-year-old remains of twins in Sweden

Seven Viking graves containing well-preserved skeletons, including the remains of twin children, have been discovered in the Swedish town of Sigtuna.

Archaeologists in Sweden have discovered 1,000-year-old skeletons of eight people, including four adults and four children, tatkuink clothing inside tombs. They may have been Vikings who converted to Christianity (The Viking Age was an era in Norse history from about 793 to 1066 - PV).

Johan Runer

Project Manager of Uppdrag arkeologi, the cultural resource management company that led excavations in the area, said: "The Christian character of the tombs currently unearthed is that obvious by the layout of the graves".

Mr. Runer said that most of the people in the grave were buried in the supine position, with their heads facing east and west. Meanwhile, traditional Vikings in this part of Sweden at the time were often cremated.

In addition

archaeologists also found coal residue and some partially burned coffins. Accordingly, there was a fire ceremony involving at least four burials. "Such phenomena were quite common in Viking-era Christian tombs, but quite rare in the earlier town of Sigtuna," said Runer.

Stone boxes were also found on top of four tombs

one of which was surrounded by several stones (stones arranged in a box around the grave). "These features were previously unknown in the town of Sigtuna," said Mr. Runer. "The ritual was common in early Christian tombs in an area about 37 km northwest of Stockholm in Sweden." .

The team of archaeologists said that one of the tattoo inspired clothing tombs contained the remains of twins. Mr. Runer it, in a grave, contains the bones of two very young children of the same age. The team's preliminary explanation was that "this grave contains the remains of twins who suffered a miscarriage late in pregnancy".

The tombs also contain some interesting artifacts. One was buried with a "leather belt containing silver-plated iron and copper alloy accessories", and a silver coin was found in his mouth. Placing coins in the mouths of the dead was common in Viking burial ceremonies in central Sweden. Another grave containing "a beautifully decorated bone comb" was housed in a box, Mr. Runer said.