Iron Sickle, 800 AD
Though typically thought of as an itinerant, warrior culture that made a living off of raiding, archaeological finds like this iron sickle give us evidence of Viking farming practices. Early written sources describe traveling and raiding as common fixtures of Viking society, and archaeological finds like this iron sickle help us fill in that narrative with the realization that Viking economy was based on agriculture and animal husbandry. [1] When Vikings left for exploration and raiding, they would leave behind families and farmsteads to which they would return.
This iron sickle was found in a Viking grave from the Broch of Gurness on Aikerness in the northern part of the Scottish Orkney Islands, and excavated in 1929. Fashioned from an iron blade attached to a wooden handle, this sickle is estimated as having been produced around the year 800AD.
The sickle, found in the Orkneys, gives us evidence of the eventual pattern of Norse acclimation to the lands and cultures they settled within. The Orkneys were inhabited by the Pictish people by the 8th century when Viking raids began. Likely spurned by political conflicts and the rise of Kings in Norway, Vikings sought to settle beyond the emerging political sphere encompassing their original homelands. [2] After establishing themselves in the Orkneys, Vikings would use this position as a staging base for raids further south into England. [3]
Finding a sickle in the Orkneys gives us evidence of the transition between Vikings raiding the Orkneys to Vikings settling and farming this island chain. Despite a harsh northern climate, Vikings grew several grains such as oats, barley, rye, and corn, and supplemented their diets with meat produced from both livestock and fishing. [4] Rye, wheat, and corn were used for bread whereas oats and other grasses were stored for winter animal fodder. Barley, of course, was crucial ingredient … for making beer! [5]
Agriculture was an integral part of Norse culture. The presence of farming tools within a location we know was raided by Vikings points to evidence of Viking settlement and the establishment of a newly settled agrarian society. Archaeological evidence from the Orkneys suggests a cultural exchange that occurred between the Picts and Vikings wherein agricultural practice remained a shared element. [6]
[1] NAS 42
[2] NAS 144
[3] NAS 15
[4] NAS 42
[5] NAS 45
[6] NAS 137
This iron sickle was found in a Viking grave from the Broch of Gurness on Aikerness in the northern part of the Scottish Orkney Islands, and excavated in 1929. Fashioned from an iron blade attached to a wooden handle, this sickle is estimated as having been produced around the year 800AD.
The sickle, found in the Orkneys, gives us evidence of the eventual pattern of Norse acclimation to the lands and cultures they settled within. The Orkneys were inhabited by the Pictish people by the 8th century when Viking raids began. Likely spurned by political conflicts and the rise of Kings in Norway, Vikings sought to settle beyond the emerging political sphere encompassing their original homelands. [2] After establishing themselves in the Orkneys, Vikings would use this position as a staging base for raids further south into England. [3]
Finding a sickle in the Orkneys gives us evidence of the transition between Vikings raiding the Orkneys to Vikings settling and farming this island chain. Despite a harsh northern climate, Vikings grew several grains such as oats, barley, rye, and corn, and supplemented their diets with meat produced from both livestock and fishing. [4] Rye, wheat, and corn were used for bread whereas oats and other grasses were stored for winter animal fodder. Barley, of course, was crucial ingredient … for making beer! [5]
Agriculture was an integral part of Norse culture. The presence of farming tools within a location we know was raided by Vikings points to evidence of Viking settlement and the establishment of a newly settled agrarian society. Archaeological evidence from the Orkneys suggests a cultural exchange that occurred between the Picts and Vikings wherein agricultural practice remained a shared element. [6]
[1] NAS 42
[2] NAS 144
[3] NAS 15
[4] NAS 42
[5] NAS 45
[6] NAS 137
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