Grave goods

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:	0036: 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
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. Find in NLS: Title, Author, Title+Author or British Library: Title, Author, Title+Author
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