Archaeologists have discovered an unusual Viking age burial site in Norway.

An unusual Viking age burial site has been discovered in Norway. A skeleton of a woman was found in the grave, with scallops on its mouth. The burial was found after a treasure hunter with a metal detector discovered an oval fibula and reported the discovery to scientists. Archaeologists are puzzled by the symbolism of the object. This was reported on December 15 by The Independent newspaper.

"We believe that a female tomb was discovered in a Viking age burial site, dressed in typical 18th-century costume and jewelry. This indicates that she was a free and probably married woman," said Raymond Sauvage, chief Engineer at the Department of Archaeology and Cultural History at the Norwegian University of Science and Technology.

The most unusual detail of the find, Sauvage called two scallop shells placed on the mouth of a deceased woman. Archaeologists suggest that she could have been the owner of the farm next to which the grave was discovered.

The practice of placing shells on the mouth of the deceased had not previously been recorded in any pre-Christian burial site in Norway. According to the publication, scallops were associated with the cult of St. James in the Middle Ages, but they are extremely rare in earlier pagan burials.

Sauvage stressed that at the moment, experts do not know the symbol's designation. Allegedly, the shells were placed with the convex side facing out so that they partially covered the deceased's mouth.

Among other items in the grave, archaeologists found two oval brooches that fastened the straps of a sundress, as well as a small ring buckle at the neck of the undergarments. In addition, bird bones were found, probably from wings. The researchers believe that all these elements carried symbolic meaning for the participants of the funeral rite.

Arkeonews magazine reported on December 8 the discovery of a 2.6 thousand-year-old monumental grave in Switzerland. Archaeologists called the preservation of the burial unique. Previously, the buried man was an important social figure.

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