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1500-year-old Viking settlement found


Still Waters

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When Norway announced plans to expand its Orland Airport this year, archaeologists got excited. They knew that pre-construction excavation was likely to reveal ancient Viking artifacts. But they got far more than they had hoped.

http://arstechnica.c...w-airport-site/

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Amazing discovery, and it would be really cool to be able to see it...

That being said this is one of my pet peeves... It was NOT a Viking settlement... It was a Norse settlement... Viking was an action, an "occupation", not a people...

You don't make a settlement if you are on a quick "Grab, slash and burn" raid, and since only those who were actively participating in a raid were "On a Viking", there are probably

NO "Viking" settlements anywhere in the world...

The Norse, Danes, Swedes etc that sailed in the long ships back in those days were either explorers, traders (they were actually very good traders) or - on occasion - raiders and

invaders... That this settlement was in Norway, clearly points to it not being a settlement that was primarily for raiders (Vikings)...

I blame Hollywood and adventure writers for this mainly, that and the "horns" on their helmets :no: ...

Off my soap box now...

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That is pretty cool. Thanks Still Waters!

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Amazing discovery, and it would be really cool to be able to see it...

That being said this is one of my pet peeves... It was NOT a Viking settlement... It was a Norse settlement... Viking was an action, an "occupation", not a people...

You don't make a settlement if you are on a quick "Grab, slash and burn" raid, and since only those who were actively participating in a raid were "On a Viking", there are probably

NO "Viking" settlements anywhere in the world...

The Norse, Danes, Swedes etc that sailed in the long ships back in those days were either explorers, traders (they were actually very good traders) or - on occasion - raiders and

invaders... That this settlement was in Norway, clearly points to it not being a settlement that was primarily for raiders (Vikings)...

I blame Hollywood and adventure writers for this mainly, that and the "horns" on their helmets :no: ...

Off my soap box now...

A vicious evil bunch of rapists and plunderers mostly due to 'Olaf the hat' supplying a consignment of helmets with the horns on the inside.... :whistle:

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A vicious evil bunch of rapists and plunderers mostly due to 'Olaf the hat' supplying a consignment of helmets with the horns on the inside.... :whistle:

I thought that was Hrolfgar the Mad Hatter...

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Amazing discovery, and it would be really cool to be able to see it...

That being said this is one of my pet peeves... It was NOT a Viking settlement... It was a Norse settlement... Viking was an action, an "occupation", not a people...

You don't make a settlement if you are on a quick "Grab, slash and burn" raid, and since only those who were actively participating in a raid were "On a Viking", there are probably

NO "Viking" settlements anywhere in the world...

The Norse, Danes, Swedes etc that sailed in the long ships back in those days were either explorers, traders (they were actually very good traders) or - on occasion - raiders and

invaders... That this settlement was in Norway, clearly points to it not being a settlement that was primarily for raiders (Vikings)...

I blame Hollywood and adventure writers for this mainly, that and the "horns" on their helmets :no: ...

Off my soap box now...

It was not Hollywood but an opera director called Richard Wagner who initiated the horny part of the Vikings (archeologist have not found a single horned Viking helmet to this day).... and since we know that we cannot say anymore: "Blessed the Vikings as their horns were artificial".

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It was not Hollywood but an opera director called Richard Wagner who initiated the horny part of the Vikings (archeologist have not found a single horned Viking helmet to this day).... and since we know that we cannot say anymore: "Blessed the Vikings as their horns were artificial".

True.. I'd forgotten about Wagner...

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You guys are great !

First, I didn't know before that the term "Vikings" is widely misused, and just barely remembered that the horns on helmets are a myth.

Anyway, nice find on the article!

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Horns do look the part in the cartoons though don't they? :P Unfortunately from a foot combat point of view helmets were designed to deflect a slicing or glancing blow.

I've had the pleasure of reproducing armour over the years from the originals of all periods in museum collections.

A blow from a broadsword or an axe coming into contact with a fixed horn would to say the least give the wearer a severe headache.

Edited by poohbear
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Interesting that the government restricts archaeological digs until an area is slated for construction or other activity. Wondering how many other identified sites are awaiting exploration by the experts.

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Interesting that the government restricts archaeological digs until an area is slated for construction or other activity. Wondering how many other identified sites are awaiting exploration by the experts.

Europe is like that. If you build there, its a huge expense if you encounter anything during construction.

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Amazing discovery, and it would be really cool to be able to see it...

That being said this is one of my pet peeves... It was NOT a Viking settlement... It was a Norse settlement... Viking was an action, an "occupation", not a people...

You don't make a settlement if you are on a quick "Grab, slash and burn" raid, and since only those who were actively participating in a raid were "On a Viking", there are probably

NO "Viking" settlements anywhere in the world...

The Norse, Danes, Swedes etc that sailed in the long ships back in those days were either explorers, traders (they were actually very good traders) or - on occasion - raiders and

invaders... That this settlement was in Norway, clearly points to it not being a settlement that was primarily for raiders (Vikings)...

I blame Hollywood and adventure writers for this mainly, that and the "horns" on their helmets :no: ...

Off my soap box now...

Another significant example of using a wrong term is the Incas. It is ususally taken to be the name of a people and an empire, while it is in fact the name of the ruler (stricktly he was known as Sapa Inca). The country was

know as Tawantinsuyu. (the four provinces)

Here is a list of some other common misconceptions: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_common_misconceptions

Edited by Noteverythingisaconspiracy
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Viking culture is generally dated from 800 AD on, so a 1500-year old site wouldn't technically be a 'Viking' one. Proto-viking, maybe.

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You guys are great !

First, I didn't know before that the term "Vikings" is widely misused, and just barely remembered that the horns on helmets are a myth.

Anyway, nice find on the article!

While misused in this general sense, it's still correct to refer to them as "vikings", and the "viking" age. Not as bad as viking horned helmets, of course.

By going a-viking, you are a viking.

Edited by Thorvir Hrothgaard
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  • 3 weeks later...

am i the only one who went "helllooo?" is this really news ? of course there was an ancient viking settlement found in Norway....is that not like saying ancient briton settlement found in England?

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