Swedish authorities have announced the first viking boat grave discoveries in the country in more than fifty years. Archaeologists taking part in a routine dig in Gamla Uppsala (Old Uppsala), 46 miles (74km) north of Stockholm, were shocked as they unearthed the viking boat graves that included human remains.

There are only a handful of known burial sites of this kind in the country. While rare in Sweden, discoveries of viking burial sites have become more frequent elsewhere in Scandinavia. Last year, Norwegian archaeologists found remains of longhouses and at least one ship lying just below the topsoil near Halden in the south-east of Norway. Just months later, another ship discovery was made on the shores of the Oslofjord at the Midgard Viking Center in Horten.

Significant remains

One of the two boats found in the grave is intact and holds the remains of a man, horse and dog. Personal items including a sword, spear, shield, and an ornate comb were also in the grave. The people discovered in the grave were likely of high social standing, as it is believed such boat burials were reserved for a privileged few. A spokesperson from consultant archaeologists Arkeologerna called the find “sensational.”

A comb and shield were among the items found at the Viking grave in Sweden.

Arckeologerna, National Historical Museums

”This is a unique excavation. The last excavation of this grave type in Old Uppsala was almost 50 years ago,” said archaeologist Anton Seiler. The fact the grave contents are so well-preserved and undisturbed is especially exciting for the team. That's because it will be the first opportunity archaeologists have to study viking burial traditions with modern scientific analysis methods in Sweden. ”We can now use modern science and methods that will generate new results, hypotheses and answers. We will also put the boat burials in relation to the very special area that is Old Uppsala and the excavations done here before”, said Seiler.