Viking Burial Discovered in Scotland

[Bugbear]

I have saved that article into my archives. Thanks for posting it.

I consider it a long term self-reflection or contemplation of who we are, and little bits of one culture reaching out across time and generations to another culture, Jock. I'm not an expert though.

[Laird_M]

As someone who has always been interested in Norse history, even before finding out about my clan history, that is very exciting!

Thanks for posting.

[Jock Scot]

I have saved that article into my archives. Thanks for posting it.

I consider it a long term, self-reflection and contemplation of who we are, and little bits of one culture reaching out across time and generations to another culture, Jock. I'm not an expert though.

I am no expert Ted and I don't want to make a big deal of this, however, I do think that delving into a grave is somehow a wee step too far, no matter how interesting it may be. I really don't know how to put my feelings exactly into words, Ted, other than I am really uneasy about these things.

[figheadair]

I read about this earlier today. Great find. I wonder what else they'll 'dig' up. Looking forward to seeing photos of the ship and artifacts.

Jocelyn

No ship left just the nails that outline the shape. That's quite common with these types of burials - the wood rots out and leaves the iron.

[Bugbear]

I am no expert Ted and I don't want to make a big deal of this, however, I do think that delving into a grave is somehow a wee step too far, no matter how interesting it may be. I really don't know how to put my feelings exactly into words, Ted, other than I am really uneasy about these things.

Fair enough, Jock.

It has inspired me to start looking through some books I have on Norse mythology and history, though.

[Newfoundlander]

As difficult as it is to put into words, but I have a foot in both camps. My upbringing fundamentally tells me its not right to disturb the dead, and the scientist in me sees this as a tremendous opportunity to see into the past and help illuminate an ancient culture that had such a far reaching impact on the world. Vikings were after all, the very first caucasians to set foot in North America when Leaf Ericsson landed in Lance aux Meadows in Newfoundland, and that's just one of many examples in the world.

Speaking as a geologist, there are some non-invasive techniques that can be used to help here. Shallow reading magnetic and gravitational surveys, very low-charge seismic techniques that may help depending on depth, and certainly ground penetrating radar. The latter is likely where the drawing originated from, if its a factual representation of whats at this site, and not from another site or just an artist rendering for yahoo. However, there are severe limitations on the resolution of these techniques, and they would not be able to determine anything small or non-metallic. So, that leaves us with excavation.

The question really is, is it worth it to know? That's a question that steps into the ethical realm as well, as you are disturbing a grave site or tomb.

I always find it most helpful to ask the converse; what would be the drawbacks or limitations of human understanding if we didn't disturb these sites? The crypts below Norte Dame, below St. Pauls, below the Vatican and in particular St. Peters, the Myan Pyramids, the pantheon, countless texts, codexes, and scrolls both biblical and gnostic, the Great Pyramids at Giza, the Valley of the Kings, Abu Simbal, and the list can continue, would all be closed from our understanding... Tragedy.

These are priceless insights into how we as a species came to be where we are, and are very important for our understanding ourselves, and ultimately, to help guide us to where were going. In my humble opinion.

[Ducky]

Looking forward to seeing what else comes up Gota love history

[Mickey]

I fall into the Jock and Newfoundlander camp.

Having a fair bit of Norwegian blood in me, I find this very interesting. I am also fascinated by cemeteries. I live next to one, and I always wonder "what were they buried with"? I also really enjoy ancient cultures and finding out what we can of them. But sometimes I do ask myself "Do we really need to know, or is it just a bit of morbid curiosity"?

I also have to wonder where the line is between archeology and grave robbing. Not in a legal sense, but something of a moral one. I'm not a religious person (ordained Dudeist priest here) so it isn't about desecration so to speak. I like seeing Dinosaur skeletons, but does it really matter? I enjoy the plasticized "Body Show", and have considered donating myself to it when the time comes, but that is a choice that I have.

At what point does a grave become open to the public? At what point is it necessary.. for knowledge or curiosity?

Now I'm gonna be up all night thinking about this... and here I was looking forward to a good night of mindless sleep

[Jay]

Whilst I do find these sorts of discoveries fascinating and whilst not being of a religious mind, I do get an uneasy feeling that we are intruding just that wee bit too far into our past.

Perhaps, but IMO, we are better knowing the truth than living a lie of what poor archaeology gave us in the 1900's.

[Mikewood]

For me this comes down to a question of time. These bones and this ship
Have been resting for 1000 yearns. We have only gotten good at archeology in the last 30. Before that we were really sophisticated grave robbers. What will archeological techniques be like 100 years from now and can we afford to wate? The price for the hope of learning something new may be that a future generation may not get to learn something at all. We are very meticulous but in the quest for old nails can we afford to deprive the future of say hammerng and assembly techniques or something better we can't begin to fathom?