Viking woman’s grave a ‘significant’ discovery

A ‘SIGNIFICANT’ discovery of a body, thought to be a Viking woman, wearing priceless, rare jewellery was yesterday revealed by the National Museum of Ireland.

The find was made last Monday by archaeologists at a site in Finglas in north Dublin where builders were constructing 48 apartments.

National Museum director Dr Patrick Wallace said an oval brooch which was found with the woman’s body was of great historical importance. “It’s priceless academically, architecturally and scientifically. It’s the first time a brooch of this kind has been found on the island,” he said. It is believed to have come from Scandinavia.

Dr Wallace said the presence of the brooch indicated the woman may have come from “the upper echelon” of Viking society and posed the question: “Is she a pure Scandinavian woman - a Viking who came home? Or an Irish woman who mattered a lot to a wealthy Viking?”

It was strange, though, for an Irish woman to have been dressed extravagantly, he added.

During the mid-9th century, there would have been only 3,000 people in Dublin, when the women was believed to have lived.

Her skeleton was found almost completely intact but the bones from the knees down were missing due to previous pipe laying. “She didn’t feel any of the pain. She was 1,000 years old,” joked Dr Wallace.

Setting out the oval brooch and other finds at its Collins Barracks headquarters yesterday, Dr Wallace suggested the findings would be ready for an exhibition by St Patrick’s Day next year.

The woman is thought to have died around 900AD. However, archaeologists are also curious as to why she was buried in a christian manner.

Site director John Kavanagh made the find.

“I just lifted a large chunk of material and there was her skull. It was a bit lucky really,” he said.

“This is my best find by a long shot, probably a once in a lifetime opportunity.”

Archaeologists will continue tests on the bones of the woman to establish illnesses, diet, her health and whether she had any children.

The find is one of several in recent months, with discoveries of Viking warriors and Scandinavian artifacts at a Dunnes Stores supermarket site in Dublin and also at a site in Waterford.