Posted on 07/05/2011 4:10:12 PM PDT by Renfield
Archaeologists have discovered one of the victims of a suspected mass Viking burial pit found in Dorset had grooves filed into his two front teeth.
Experts believe a collection of bones and decapitated heads, unearthed during the creation of the Weymouth Relief Road, belong to young Viking warriors.
During analysis, a pair of front teeth was found to have distinct incisions.
Archaeologists think it may have been designed to frighten opponents or show status as a great fighter....
(Excerpt) Read more at bbc.co.uk ...
Archaeologist David Score said the practice would not have been a "pleasant experience"
EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEK! That gives me the willies just THINKING about that!!!!!! (Thanks for posting the article)
· join list or digest · view topics · view or post blog · bookmark · post a topic · subscribe · |
|||
Antiquity Journal & archive Archaeologica Archaeology Archaeology Channel BAR Bronze Age Forum Discovery Dogpile Eurekalert LiveScience Mirabilis.ca Nat Geographic PhysOrg Science Daily Science News Texas AM Yahoo Excerpt, or Link only? |
|
||
· Science topic · science keyword · Books/Literature topic · pages keyword · |
I wonder if it could have been a torture technique?
Would you file them under "T" for "teeth"?
;-)
Quicker way to gnaw through an ear of corn.
He just wanted to wish people a 'Merry Chrithmath'.
Any Viking on that southern coast would have been a raider. Looks like the locals won this encounter.
“Archaeologists think it may have been designed to frighten opponents or show status as a great fighter....”
How’d that work? Gimpy teeth are scary? Or, “I’m such a mighty mighty warrior, I ****ed up my teeth!”
My own archaeologist guess? (as a thoroughly non archaeologist, that is)...
This guy was the runt of the litter. The bigger guys held him down and filed his teeth so they could listen to him scream in pain every time he ate or drank something hot or cold.
Or...
This guy fell asleep during an after battle drinking party.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.