Copper Alloy Vesssel
This artifact, along with over one thousand others, were found slightly inland along the North coast of Iceland from 2000 to 2006. Typically, the artifacts we find from the Viking age are metallic because metal detectors are easy to use and efficient; weapons, coins, and ingots are all common finds throughout England and Scandinavia. In addition metal artifacts often survive the test of time far better than their organic counterparts, which can rot and disappear. This “metal based history” can be exciting and dynamic because it yields a militaristic image, but it can also limit our view of all Norse life. A huge excavation of practical household goods like those that were found in Iceland, can help us expand and embellish the Viking image to more than that of a bloodthirsty raider.
The vessel fragment itself weighs six grams, and is a very thin bronze sheet with two rivets near the center. Because of the two rivets that clearly indicate where a handle would be, it is possible that this vessel was meant for transportation, cooking, or even ornate storage, much like a vase. Because bronze was so prevalent in both everyday items in the Viking age, there are nearly endless uses for a vessel such as this one. The design choice to use a thin shell for the vessel was most likely for ease of carrying because bronze is already a sturdy metal. While it is difficult to presume the vessel’s exact purpose, because it was found in a less militaristic setting than many artifacts, it is likely that it was used for a domestic purpose.[2] This artifact, more than most, echoes the domestic, refined Viking lifestyle that is often so obscured by the more engaging ships and weapons.
