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The Viking World: A History in Objects

Antler Comb

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Introduction Anything made or used by human hands can be historical evidence, not just written texts. Objects bear witness to the past in a uniquely tangible way, evoking an immediate sense of the lived experience of those who made, used, modified and discarded them. Physical things are especially illuminating when discussing largely non-literate societies like the Norse-speaking peoples who lived during the so-called Viking Age of the eighth to eleventh centuries, and whose bloodthirsty reputation derives largely from the one-sided accounts written by their more literate European victims.

Inspired by the BBC and British Museum's History of the World in 100 Objects podcast series, this collaborative student research project aims to shed light on the real history that lies behind the rumors and legends, through audio essays exploring and contextualizing 100 carefully curated objects from across the Viking World.

Explore the collection visually on the Gallery page or via the Tag Cloud, take a guided tour through specific Thematic Categories, or investigate connections between objects on the Visualizations page.
Decorated Antler Comb This comb was found at Birka, a well-known and well-excavated site of an 8^th-- 10^th century viking emporium, or trading settlement. The comb likely made its way into the ground through accidental loss or after discard when teeth or some other piece of the comb broke. Sections of tooth plate as well as a decorated bridge survived. Because we know the dates Birka was inhabited by viking peoples, we can be relatedly confident in dating the comb to those dates, and because we know from the wealth of material evidence left behind that Birka was a relatively large and busy viking settlement,[1] with a multitude of other objects left behind, we can be confident in ascribing the comb to a viking culture.
Hygiene was surprisingly important to Scandinavian peoples who came into regular contact with parasites from sheep as well as from other humans – an issue that would no doubt have been extremely evident in a more urbanized, highly trafficked location such as Birka. Like many other examples of viking hygiene tools, the comb is made of antler or bone, an organic material that would have been readily available and easy for viking-age craftsmen to carve.[2]
Perhaps surprisingly, the main function of combs like this was not to craft a beautiful aesthetically pleasing hairstyle, but to remove lice. The teeth on this comb are especially narrow for this purpose. Although we tend to think of hygiene today as a means of improving one’s outward appearance, hygiene and beauty for viking peoples was often more practical and concerned with controlling parasites or bodily functions.
The decoration carved on the bridge of the comb is created through thick lines in a relatively close knit, geometric based design. The pattern resembles a lattice more than an animal-motif based interlace or knotwork, which differs somewhat from the more established viking styles. On either side of the comb there are also visible cross motifs, which may be a feature of the design or indications of an early exposure to Christianity.
Finds like this are significant because they offer a glimpse into the daily life of viking age people in areas where our written sources are dark.