From discovery.com: Viking Age Triggered by Shortage of Wives?
During the Viking Age from the late eighth to the mid-eleventh centuries, Scandinavians tore across Europe attacking, robbing and terrorizing locals. According to a new study, the young warriors were driven to seek their fortunes to better their chances of finding wives.
The odd twist to the story, said researcher James Barrett, is that it was the selective killing of female newborns that led to a shortage of Scandinavian women in the first place, resulting later in intense competition over eligible women. [continue]
Interesting – not sure I buy it but I’ve blogged it too now, thanks to you.
This is the other Sarah–I immediately thought of China’s one child policy and its unintended consequences, now unfolding, even before I read the article. The consequences may be more serious than we expect.