Grave goods

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These objects were found in a woman's grave at Westness on Rousay in Orkney. She died in childbirth and was buried with her valuable jewellery and a range of tools between 850 and 900. The grave goods show that she was a woman of wealth and status.

Some of the objects, such as the oval brooches and necklace, were brought over from Scandinavia. Others, such as the brooch pin, brooch made from a Gospel book plate and strap ends derive from the British Isles, obtained by looting or trade.

Some of the items are typical of women's burials, for example tools relating to textile production such as the heckles, weaving sword, sickle and shears. Other objects such as the comb are found in both men's and women's graves.

Record details

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• Online ID: 000-000-099-732-C
• Image Rights Holder: National Museums Scotland
• Project: Kiloran Bay Viking Burial (multimedia essay)
  Project description   View all records in project
• Ref: National Museums Scotland  X.IL 740
• Date: Buried between 850 and 900
  
• Material: Bone; in form of straight narrow bar
  Bone; iron rivets; back plates outlined by two incised lines; six tooth plates remaining; one end missing
  Bronze
  Bronze; made from flat strips; broken; all very corroded
  Bronze; rectangular; cast decoration within a raised border, wolf in high relief; background of scrolls in low relief; very decayed
  Bronze; tortoise brooches; type Rygh 649; a, with iron pin inside; b, lacking pin, c, part of iron pin from b, with remains of two cloth loops
  Glass and paste, various colours and patterns; one white stone bead; one thin disc of bone; on string
  Iron
  Iron; retains part of wooden handle
  Iron; rusted together
  Iron; slightly expanded end to handle; incomplete
  Iron; tip missing
  Probably broken from X.IL 732 A; remains of wood in the socket
  Silver, poor quality; circular head in form of penannular brooch; decorated sunk panels containing gold filigree bordered by lines of red glass; four round amber and four semicircular insets; pin top above hinge has groove for glass inlay round a semicirc
  Whalebone; broken at both ends
  Bead / string
  Bowl / fragment
  Brooch
  Brooch pin
  Comb
  Heckle
  Implement
  Knife / portion
  Mount
  Mount
  Plaque
  Shears
  Sickle
  Sword socket
  Sword, weaving / portion
  
• Dimensions: 2.00 - 2.30" L x 0.60" W / 4.15" L / 3.35" L / 1.60" L x 0.18" W
  2.60" x 1.25"
  24.30" L x 1.35" W
  3.00" L x 0.70" W
  4.30" x 2.15"
  5.00" W / 6.30" W; teeth 5.00" L
  5.10" L x 2.80" W
  5.35" L x 0.55" - 0.70" W x 0.12" thick
  5.70" L
  6.30" L x 1.40" across open end
  7.65" across; blade 0.80" W
  8.20" L; blades 0.55" W
  Disc 0.70" D
  Head 2.15" D
  
• What: Bead / string
  Bowl / fragment
  Brooch
  Brooch pin
  Comb
  Heckle
  Implement
  Knife / portion
  Mount
  Mount
  Plaque
  Shears
  Sickle
  Sword socket
  Sword, weaving / portion
  
• Subject:
• Who:
• Where: Scotland, Orkney, Rousay, Westness
  Scotland, Orkney, Rousay, Westness
  Scotland, Orkney, Rousay, Westness
  Scotland, Orkney, Rousay, Westness
  Scotland, Orkney, Rousay, Westness
  Scotland, Orkney, Rousay, Westness
  Scotland, Orkney, Rousay, Westness
  Scotland, Orkney, Rousay, Westness
  Scotland, Orkney, Rousay, Westness
  Scotland, Orkney, Rousay, Westness
  Scotland, Orkney, Rousay, Westness
  Scotland, Orkney, Rousay, Westness
  Scotland, Orkney, Rousay, Westness
  Scotland, Orkney, Rousay, Westness
  Scotland, Orkney, Rousay, Westness
  
• Event:
• Description: Brooch pin of poor quality silver with a circular head in form of a penannular brooch with decorated sunk panels containing gold filigree bordered by lines of red glass, from Westness, Orkney
  Pair of bronze tortoise brooches, one with iron pin inside, the other lacking pin, with pin fragment with remains of two cloth loops, from Westness, Orkney
  Rectangular bronze mount with cast decoration within a raised border of a wolf in high relief, with background of scrolls in low relief, from Westness, Orkney
  Bronze bowl in fragments, from Westness, Orkney
  Broken bronze mounts made from flat strips, all very corroded, from Westness, Orkney
  Iron weaving sword in several pieces, from the grave of a rich Viking woman at Westness, Orkney
  Socket, probably broken from sword X.IL 732 A, showing remains of wood, from Westness, Orkney
  Part of an iron knife retaining part of wooden handle, from Westness, Orkney
  Incomplete pair of iron shears with slightly expanded end to handle, from Westness, Orkney
  Two iron heckles rusted together, with corroded textile remains, from Westness, Orkney
  Iron sickle with missing tip, from Westness, Orkney
  Whalebone plaque broken at both ends, from Westness, Orkney
  Bone implement in the form of a straight narrow bar, from Westness, Orkney
  Composite bone comb with iron rivets, one end missing, the back plates outlined by two incised lines, from Westness, Orkney
  String of thirty nine glass and paste beads of various colours and patterns, from Westness, Orkney
  
• References:
  • Graham-Campbell, James and Batey, Colleen E. Vikings in Scotland. An Archaeological Survey. Edinburgh: University Press, 1998, pp 135-7. 
  • Youngs, Susan (ed). 'The Work of Angels'. Masterpieces of Celtic metalwork, 6th-9th centuries AD. London: British Museums Publications Ltd, 1989, p 92. 
  • Ritchie, Anna. Viking Scotland London: B.T. Batsford Ltd/Historic Scotland, 1993, p 50.
• Translations:
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