An international team of archaeologists from Norway and the United Kingdom have discovered unusual Viking burial structures in central Norway, dating back to 500 and 950 AD. According to experts, their designs were intended for special burial ceremonies. The study was published in the scientific journal magazine Medieval Archaeology (MediArch).
According to the scientists, the burial houses they found differed from similar buildings in other parts of Scandinavia in that they did not require a permanent burial.
Experts noted that the tombs they examined had doors and traces of constant visits by living people, as evidenced by the well-worked soil in front of the entrances.
Each structure was in use for approximately 100–200 years, indicating that funeral homes remained an important component of rituals, even though the funerary practices surrounding them may have changed.
Although no burials were found in the structures, other finds such as bone fragments, arrowheads and nails helped shed light on the purpose of these objects.
Scientists believe that burial houses served to temporarily house bodies while they were prepared for cremation or other funeral ceremonies. Judging by the artifacts discovered, such a structure was considered a place for the deceased to shelter before they went to the afterlife.
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Source: Gazeta
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