From Media Newswire: Excavated burials reveal the Viking world-view.

Research into pagan Viking burials has provided an Aberdeen academic with new revelations into the way the early Norse led their lives and their attitude towards mortality.

Studies led by Professor Neil Price, Chair of Archaeology, University of Aberdeen, exploring thousands of excavated graves known from the Viking world, revealed that no two of these burial monuments were the same.

The research also showed that Viking funerals involved complex elements of mortuary theatre — ritual plays which were literally performed at the graveside.

Detailed analysis of the burials revealed the sheer variety of objects found alongside the bodies — from everyday items to great longships and vehicles such as wagons and sleds, together with animals of many different species and even human sacrifices. [continue]