The Viking World: A History in ObjectsMain MenuGallery viewA galleryTag Cloudtag cloud pageThemesA path of thematic categoriesAuthor IndexExplore the collection by authorWorks CitedReferencesAdam Bigelow3afa9c7ecebf516bba6609664b1b12f79c54bf77Caitlin Donahue61b7e986e7c71d400e5c803912ed83c0cf65252fCaroline Harvey1783f21a5882b5b4d3d0b6c174d058052a5ff7eaEdward Hershewee701ef220480b51ca728fc9c719bc094cf813655Martin Hoffmana1fd203afd9a84ee8db567e188cf6ed1d269386eTyler Hruby23493f763b312110686cfafc62578fd0ab5f3833Brittany N. Johnsonc1c1763339f8fa953e3c907c6bb8a3bad0c28b2cCarlos Lua Pineda0a28cc23b0aa00b4f24a9e205aeb57fbdb07ff01Moira McConnell710633400590ea38533ea3412c01fc5056288180Clara McCurdy9aec76477d0b55f9c685c47330d6786ec98182e1Elise McIlhaneyef48481634ff342c8b43c9d56f678b2d3562fb69Cameron Meikle669a5682bfbfd603130a26e25628f24eb07e6295Alexander Christopher Newkirk019c2f5b38c043507251d1789e2fdf47e61c3b7fBenja Reilly816c23aa0d444213fb2d1ef33555a15617e08228Oliver Statenc625ae8c3926f5e1a4268bc91d6a6f4cdb1e7fb6Liam Sullivanaa3a1dccb90c7fe4646b61c4af594abbb0c5574aRead Wilder31bf4715220144a665996f2e6cae80a1a8611eadAliza Yazdanicd49f227d88c72331226ddf574bf56c37308cd10Austin Masonf6137011c68eb792c6e14634815583b15e707dea
Copper Alloy Vessel
12017-05-20T18:12:22-07:00Oliver Statenc625ae8c3926f5e1a4268bc91d6a6f4cdb1e7fb6164562Black fragment from a copper vesselplain2017-05-20T18:20:02-07:00Kendall, Aaron. Vessel. Still Image, 2016. 402643. tDAR. http://core.tdar.org/image/402643/hrh03-102.800-1000?402643CC BY65.427, -17.349CopperArchiveAkureyri, Iceland2003080906010220030809060102Viking Age/Early MedievalOliver Statenc625ae8c3926f5e1a4268bc91d6a6f4cdb1e7fb6
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12017-05-24T10:09:20-07:00Austin Masonf6137011c68eb792c6e14634815583b15e707deaMap ViewAustin Mason2An interactive map of all the objects in the collectiongoogle_maps2017-05-24T11:39:30-07:00Austin Masonf6137011c68eb792c6e14634815583b15e707dea
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12017-05-21T12:19:01-07:00Copper Alloy Vesssel3Object Pageplain2017-09-21T17:47:11-07:00When this copper alloy vessel would have been used, metallurgy in the Viking Age had incorporated both bronze and iron items into everyday life.[1] However, a copper alloy vessel would have been useful around a Viking household for general storage, transportation, or even decoration.
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.
