In the footsteps of Ohthere: biomolecular analysis of early Viking Age hair combs from Hedeby (Haithabu)

• Published in: Antiquity 2023-10, Vol.97 (395), p.1233-1248
• Main Authors: Muñoz-Rodriguez, Mariana, Presslee, Samantha, McGrath, Krista, Hausmann, Niklas, Hilberg, Volker, Kalmring, Sven, Holmquist, Lena, Hendy, Jessica, Ashby, Steven Paul
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: 9th century; Analysis; Anthropological research; antler combs; Archaeology; Combs; Connectivity; Discovery and exploration; Early Middle Ages; Excavation; Hair; Imports; International trade; Manufacturing; Medieval period; Personal grooming; Raw materials; Reindeer; Routes; Scandinavia; Towns; trade network; Trade routes; Viking Age; Vikings; ZooMS
• ISSN: 0003-598X; 1745-1744; 1745-1744
• DOI: 10.15184/aqy.2023.118

Hedeby was the largest town in the Viking North. Investigations have identified imports at the site from central and northern Scandinavia revealing long-distance connections. The chronology of this trade, however, is unclear. Here, the authors use a typological-biomolecular approach to examine connections during the early Viking Age. The application of ZooMS to an assemblage of antler combs, stylistically dated to the ninth century AD, reveals nearly all were made of reindeer antler. As most craft production waste from Hedeby comprises red deer antler, it is argued that these combs were manufactured elsewhere, perhaps hundreds of kilometres further north. The results have implications for understanding of production and regional connectivity in early medieval Scandinavia.