Scar boat burial
Encyclopedia
The Scar boat burial is a Viking
boat burial
near the village of Scar, on Sanday
, in Orkney, Scotland. The burial, which dates to between 875 and 950 AD, contained the remains of a man, an elderly woman, and a child, along with numerous grave goods
. Although the site had to be excavated quickly because of the threat of coastal erosion
owing to bad weather conditions, it yielded many important findings.
object, and thought that he may have discovered the resting place of a dead sailor. Dearness died before the significance of the site was realized.
In 1991, archaeologist Julie Gibson visited the island, having heard of the discovery of the bones six years earlier. She was shown the small lead object, and took it to Kirkwall
for identification. As it turned out to be a lead weight for measuring bullion, Gibson and Dr Raymond Lamb investigated the site further.
Appreciating the significance of the site, the archaeologists realised they had to act swiftly, as it was exposed and rapidly eroding. Historic Scotland
put together a team led by Magnar Dalland to excavate the site, which took place over November and December 1991.
within the boat lining was found not to match known sand from Orkney, Shetland, or the Scottish mainland, indicating that the boat was not made in Scotland, and that both it and its occupants may have come from Norway
or elsewhere.
The walled enclosure was found to contain the remains of a man, a woman, and a child, along with numerous grave goods
. The man was aged about 30 when he died, the woman about 70 (a considerable age for the period), and the child—of unknown gender—was aged 10 or 11. There is evidence that the man had rowed a boat when he was younger, and that the woman had habitually sat cross-legged and possibly had spun flax
.
Grave goods found next to the man include a sword, quiver with arrows, brooch, bone comb, and gaming pieces. Also found next to the man was the Scar Dragon Plaque, made from whalebone, which has received much attention. The woman had grave goods including a comb, shears, sickle
, and two spindle
whorls buried next to her. No evidence was found of how any of the three occupants died. In 2010 the Scar Dragon Plaque was briefly loaned to the Jorvik Viking Centre
in York
.
Viking
The term Viking is customarily used to refer to the Norse explorers, warriors, merchants, and pirates who raided, traded, explored and settled in wide areas of Europe, Asia and the North Atlantic islands from the late 8th to the mid-11th century.These Norsemen used their famed longships to...
boat burial
Ship burial
A ship burial or boat grave is a burial in which a ship or boat is used either as a container for the dead and the grave goods, or as a part of the grave goods itself. If the ship is very small, it is called a boat grave...
near the village of Scar, on Sanday
Sanday, Orkney
Sanday is one of the inhabited islands in the Orkney Islands, off the north coast of Scotland. With an area of , it is the third largest of the Orkney Islands. The main centres of population are Lady Village and Kettletoft. Sanday can be reached by Orkney Ferries or plane from Kirkwall on the...
, in Orkney, Scotland. The burial, which dates to between 875 and 950 AD, contained the remains of a man, an elderly woman, and a child, along with numerous grave goods
Grave goods
Grave goods, in archaeology and anthropology, are the items buried along with the body.They are usually personal possessions, supplies to smooth the deceased's journey into the afterlife or offerings to the gods. Grave goods are a type of votive deposit...
. Although the site had to be excavated quickly because of the threat of coastal erosion
Coastal erosion
Coastal erosion is the wearing away of land and the removal of beach or dune sediments by wave action, tidal currents, wave currents, or drainage...
owing to bad weather conditions, it yielded many important findings.
Discovery and excavation
The site at The Crook Beach, 1 km northeast of Scar, was found in 1985 by John Dearness, a farmer on Sanday. He found bones sticking out of the ground and a small leadLead
Lead is a main-group element in the carbon group with the symbol Pb and atomic number 82. Lead is a soft, malleable poor metal. It is also counted as one of the heavy metals. Metallic lead has a bluish-white color after being freshly cut, but it soon tarnishes to a dull grayish color when exposed...
object, and thought that he may have discovered the resting place of a dead sailor. Dearness died before the significance of the site was realized.
In 1991, archaeologist Julie Gibson visited the island, having heard of the discovery of the bones six years earlier. She was shown the small lead object, and took it to Kirkwall
Kirkwall
Kirkwall is the biggest town and capital of Orkney, off the coast of northern mainland Scotland. The town is first mentioned in Orkneyinga saga in the year 1046 when it is recorded as the residence of Rögnvald Brusason the Earl of Orkney, who was killed by his uncle Thorfinn the Mighty...
for identification. As it turned out to be a lead weight for measuring bullion, Gibson and Dr Raymond Lamb investigated the site further.
Appreciating the significance of the site, the archaeologists realised they had to act swiftly, as it was exposed and rapidly eroding. Historic Scotland
Historic Scotland
Historic Scotland is an executive agency of the Scottish Government, responsible for historic monuments in Scotland.-Role:As its website states:...
put together a team led by Magnar Dalland to excavate the site, which took place over November and December 1991.
Description of the site
The wood of the 6.5 metres (21.3 ft) long and 1.5 metres (4.9 ft) wide boat had rotted away, leaving more than 300 iron rivets. It was placed in a boat-shaped stone-lined enclosure which was packed with further stones. There were also stones forming a walled enclosure inside the boat itself, within which were found the remains of three bodies. SandSand
Sand is a naturally occurring granular material composed of finely divided rock and mineral particles.The composition of sand is highly variable, depending on the local rock sources and conditions, but the most common constituent of sand in inland continental settings and non-tropical coastal...
within the boat lining was found not to match known sand from Orkney, Shetland, or the Scottish mainland, indicating that the boat was not made in Scotland, and that both it and its occupants may have come from Norway
Norway
Norway , officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic unitary constitutional monarchy whose territory comprises the western portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula, Jan Mayen, and the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard and Bouvet Island. Norway has a total area of and a population of about 4.9 million...
or elsewhere.
The walled enclosure was found to contain the remains of a man, a woman, and a child, along with numerous grave goods
Grave goods
Grave goods, in archaeology and anthropology, are the items buried along with the body.They are usually personal possessions, supplies to smooth the deceased's journey into the afterlife or offerings to the gods. Grave goods are a type of votive deposit...
. The man was aged about 30 when he died, the woman about 70 (a considerable age for the period), and the child—of unknown gender—was aged 10 or 11. There is evidence that the man had rowed a boat when he was younger, and that the woman had habitually sat cross-legged and possibly had spun flax
Flax
Flax is a member of the genus Linum in the family Linaceae. It is native to the region extending from the eastern Mediterranean to India and was probably first domesticated in the Fertile Crescent...
.
Grave goods found next to the man include a sword, quiver with arrows, brooch, bone comb, and gaming pieces. Also found next to the man was the Scar Dragon Plaque, made from whalebone, which has received much attention. The woman had grave goods including a comb, shears, sickle
Sickle
A sickle is a hand-held agricultural tool with a variously curved blade typically used for harvesting grain crops or cutting succulent forage chiefly for feeding livestock . Sickles have also been used as weapons, either in their original form or in various derivations.The diversity of sickles that...
, and two spindle
Spindle (textiles)
A spindle is a wooden spike used for spinning wool, flax, hemp, cotton, and other fibres into thread. It is commonly weighted at either the bottom middle or top, most commonly by a circular or spherical object called a whorl, and may also have a hook, groove or notch, though spindles without...
whorls buried next to her. No evidence was found of how any of the three occupants died. In 2010 the Scar Dragon Plaque was briefly loaned to the Jorvik Viking Centre
Jorvik Viking Centre
The JORVIK Viking Centre is a museum and visitor attraction in York, England. It was created by the York Archaeological Trust.- Background :Cravens, a firm of confectioners founded in 1803, relocated from their factory in Coppergate, a street in central York, in 1966...
in York
York
York is a walled city, situated at the confluence of the Rivers Ouse and Foss in North Yorkshire, England. The city has a rich heritage and has provided the backdrop to major political events throughout much of its two millennia of existence...
.
See also
- Norse funeral
- Norse–Gaels
- Norse Scotland
- Port an Eilean Mhòir ship burialPort an Eilean Mhòir ship burialThe Port an Eilean Mhòir ship burial is a Viking ship burial site in Ardnamurchan, Scotland, the most westerly point on the island of Great Britain. Dated to the 10th century, the burial consists of a Viking boat about long by wide in which a man was laid to rest with his shield, sword and spear...
- Uí ÍmairUí ÍmairThe Uí Ímair , or Dynasty of Ivar, were an enormous royal and imperial Norse dynasty who ruled Northern England, the Irish Sea region and Kingdom of Dublin, and the western coast of Scotland, including the Hebrides, from the mid 9th century, losing control of the first in the mid 10th, but the rest...