Some historians have suggested that Vikings were no moreviolentthan some of their contemporary societies.
Viking poetry and religious beliefs were similarly bloody.
Norwegian skeletons were also considerably more likely to show signs of pre-death injuries.
One of the Norwegian Viking skulls the researchers examined, with signs of blunt force trauma.© Lisa Mariann Strand
Of the 30 Norwegian remains examined, 18 showed signs of injury.
That discrepancy led Jacobson to conclude that violence wasnt the only difference between Danes and Norwegians.
This is quite striking, as the assumption has been that socially Viking Scandinavia was largely a singular space.
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