Archaeologist Indriði Skarphéðinsson found the animal toy on the floor of the longhouse. Courtesy of Fjörður - Seyðisfjörður fornleifar
Vikings are often remembered for their violence and cruelty, but they also had a softer side. Archaeologists have discovered numerous children’s toys, lovingly carved from wood and stone. While their parents went on raids, Viking children played with spinning tops, wooden swords, and miniature boats. They also had figurines of animals like bears and boars, which were important to their culture.
Recently, Icelandic archaeologists found a figurine at the Fjord Seyðisfjörður archaeological site, located on farmland near the island’s eastern coast. Made of Palagonite tuff, a basalt-like material, the two-inch figurine represents a four-footed animal—but which one?
This Viking toy just turned up in Iceland. Courtesy of Fjörður - Seyðisfjörður fornleifar
Ragnheiður Traustadóttir, the director of the archaeological team, initially thought the figurine was a pig, an animal domesticated by Icelandic Vikings for meat. However, two of her colleagues argued it looked more like a bear. Although polar bears are not native to Iceland, they have been spotted over 600 times since the island was first settled between 870 and 930 C.E.
Others believe the figurine represents an Icelandic horse, a small, muscular breed brought to the island by settlers. Some think it resembles an Icelandic sheepdog, another small animal from Scandinavia. Traustadóttir, who has owned an Icelandic sheepdog for over 14 years, is not convinced of the resemblance. Nevertheless, she finds the discovery exciting, noting that “children are not so visible in the Viking Age.”
This figurine is not the first Viking artifact found at the site. In 2021, archaeologists discovered a farm mound with a mill and a sheep shed, built between the 18th and 20th centuries, atop a Viking settlement covered by a landslide during the Middle Ages. Further excavation revealed a Viking longhouse with a weaving room, animal enclosures, and a trash heap, dating back to the 11th and 13th centuries.
“There’s no other site in Iceland that has so many finds,” Traustadóttir said. In the five years since the site’s discovery, nearly 4,000 artifacts have been found, including toys and game pieces that challenge our perceptions of Vikings.
“Someone sat in the winter night, in the dark,” she said, “carving chess pieces, and then [here’s] this animal for a child.” It’s fascinating to see how these discoveries shed light on the everyday lives of Viking children, isn’t it?
Sayart / Amia Nguyen, amyngwyen13@gmail.com
Archaeologist Indriði Skarphéðinsson found the animal toy on the floor of the longhouse. Courtesy of Fjörður - Seyðisfjörður fornleifar
Vikings are often remembered for their violence and cruelty, but they also had a softer side. Archaeologists have discovered numerous children’s toys, lovingly carved from wood and stone. While their parents went on raids, Viking children played with spinning tops, wooden swords, and miniature boats. They also had figurines of animals like bears and boars, which were important to their culture.
Recently, Icelandic archaeologists found a figurine at the Fjord Seyðisfjörður archaeological site, located on farmland near the island’s eastern coast. Made of Palagonite tuff, a basalt-like material, the two-inch figurine represents a four-footed animal—but which one?
This Viking toy just turned up in Iceland. Courtesy of Fjörður - Seyðisfjörður fornleifar
Ragnheiður Traustadóttir, the director of the archaeological team, initially thought the figurine was a pig, an animal domesticated by Icelandic Vikings for meat. However, two of her colleagues argued it looked more like a bear. Although polar bears are not native to Iceland, they have been spotted over 600 times since the island was first settled between 870 and 930 C.E.
Others believe the figurine represents an Icelandic horse, a small, muscular breed brought to the island by settlers. Some think it resembles an Icelandic sheepdog, another small animal from Scandinavia. Traustadóttir, who has owned an Icelandic sheepdog for over 14 years, is not convinced of the resemblance. Nevertheless, she finds the discovery exciting, noting that “children are not so visible in the Viking Age.”
This figurine is not the first Viking artifact found at the site. In 2021, archaeologists discovered a farm mound with a mill and a sheep shed, built between the 18th and 20th centuries, atop a Viking settlement covered by a landslide during the Middle Ages. Further excavation revealed a Viking longhouse with a weaving room, animal enclosures, and a trash heap, dating back to the 11th and 13th centuries.
“There’s no other site in Iceland that has so many finds,” Traustadóttir said. In the five years since the site’s discovery, nearly 4,000 artifacts have been found, including toys and game pieces that challenge our perceptions of Vikings.
“Someone sat in the winter night, in the dark,” she said, “carving chess pieces, and then [here’s] this animal for a child.” It’s fascinating to see how these discoveries shed light on the everyday lives of Viking children, isn’t it?
