A new study from the University of Gothenburg has revealed that Sweden’s Viking Age population suffered from severe oral and maxillofacial diseases, sinus and ear infections, osteoarthritis, and other ailments. Researchers used modern X-ray techniques to examine Viking skulls, uncovering a range of health issues that would have significantly impacted daily life.
This study builds on previous research that examined a large number of teeth from the Viking Age population of Varnhem, a site in Sweden’s Västergötland province known for its extensive burial grounds and well-preserved skeletons. Now, odontologists at the University of Gothenburg have expanded the research by analyzing entire skulls using computed tomography (CT) scans.
Signs of Chronic Illness and Infections
The findings, published in British Dental Journal Open, suggest that the fifteen individuals whose skulls were examined had suffered from a wide range of diseases. The CT scans revealed pathological bone growths in the cranium and jawbone, indicating infections and other conditions. Some individuals showed evidence of chronic sinus or ear infections, which left visible traces in the surrounding bone structures. Osteoarthritis and various dental diseases were also common. All of the skulls examined belonged to adults who died between the ages of 20 and 60.
The study was led by Carolina Bertilsson, an assistant researcher at the University of Gothenburg and a dentist within Sweden’s Public Dental Service. The research team included specialists in dental radiology from the university and an archaeologist from Västergötlands Museum. Using CT scans, they were able to create three-dimensional images, allowing for a detailed examination of skeletal damage layer by layer.
A Window into Viking-Age Health
Computed tomography provide 3D photos and the possibility of advanced image analysis where layer by layer of bones, jaw bones and teeth are studied in detail. Photo by Carolina Bertilsson
“There was much to look at. We found many signs of disease in these individuals. Exactly why we don’t know. While we can’t study the damage in the soft tissue because it’s no longer there, we can see the traces left in the skeletal structures,” says Carolina Bertilsson.
She adds, “The results of the study provide greater understanding of these people’s health and wellbeing. Everyone knows what it’s like to have pain somewhere, you can get quite desperate for help. But back then, they didn’t have the medical and dental care we do, or the kind of pain relief – and antibiotics – we now have. If you developed an infection, it could stick around for a long time.”
This research serves as a pilot study, with an important goal of testing CT scanning as a method for future archaeological investigations. The ability to conduct non-invasive analysis means that skeletal remains can remain intact while still yielding valuable insights.
“Very many of today’s archaeological methods are invasive, with the need to remove bone or other tissue for analysis. This way, we can keep the remains completely intact yet still extract a great deal of information,” Bertilsson explains.
By applying modern medical imaging techniques to Viking-Age remains, researchers hope to gain a deeper understanding of the health challenges faced by past populations, shedding light on their lived experiences and medical hardships.
The article, “Findings from computed tomography examinations of Viking age skulls,” by Carolina Bertilsson, Eva Borg, Maria Vretemark and Henrik Lund, appears in British Dental Journal Open. Click here to read it.
Top Image: The skulls of Viking-era individuals were examined with modern computed tomography, in the search for infections, inflammations and other diseases. Photo by Carolina Bertilsson
A new study from the University of Gothenburg has revealed that Sweden’s Viking Age population suffered from severe oral and maxillofacial diseases, sinus and ear infections, osteoarthritis, and other ailments. Researchers used modern X-ray techniques to examine Viking skulls, uncovering a range of health issues that would have significantly impacted daily life.
This study builds on previous research that examined a large number of teeth from the Viking Age population of Varnhem, a site in Sweden’s Västergötland province known for its extensive burial grounds and well-preserved skeletons. Now, odontologists at the University of Gothenburg have expanded the research by analyzing entire skulls using computed tomography (CT) scans.
Signs of Chronic Illness and Infections
The findings, published in British Dental Journal Open, suggest that the fifteen individuals whose skulls were examined had suffered from a wide range of diseases. The CT scans revealed pathological bone growths in the cranium and jawbone, indicating infections and other conditions. Some individuals showed evidence of chronic sinus or ear infections, which left visible traces in the surrounding bone structures. Osteoarthritis and various dental diseases were also common. All of the skulls examined belonged to adults who died between the ages of 20 and 60.
The study was led by Carolina Bertilsson, an assistant researcher at the University of Gothenburg and a dentist within Sweden’s Public Dental Service. The research team included specialists in dental radiology from the university and an archaeologist from Västergötlands Museum. Using CT scans, they were able to create three-dimensional images, allowing for a detailed examination of skeletal damage layer by layer.
A Window into Viking-Age Health
“There was much to look at. We found many signs of disease in these individuals. Exactly why we don’t know. While we can’t study the damage in the soft tissue because it’s no longer there, we can see the traces left in the skeletal structures,” says Carolina Bertilsson.
She adds, “The results of the study provide greater understanding of these people’s health and wellbeing. Everyone knows what it’s like to have pain somewhere, you can get quite desperate for help. But back then, they didn’t have the medical and dental care we do, or the kind of pain relief – and antibiotics – we now have. If you developed an infection, it could stick around for a long time.”
This research serves as a pilot study, with an important goal of testing CT scanning as a method for future archaeological investigations. The ability to conduct non-invasive analysis means that skeletal remains can remain intact while still yielding valuable insights.
“Very many of today’s archaeological methods are invasive, with the need to remove bone or other tissue for analysis. This way, we can keep the remains completely intact yet still extract a great deal of information,” Bertilsson explains.
By applying modern medical imaging techniques to Viking-Age remains, researchers hope to gain a deeper understanding of the health challenges faced by past populations, shedding light on their lived experiences and medical hardships.
The article, “Findings from computed tomography examinations of Viking age skulls,” by Carolina Bertilsson, Eva Borg, Maria Vretemark and Henrik Lund, appears in British Dental Journal Open. Click here to read it.
See also: Oral Health of the Vikings detailed in new study
Top Image: The skulls of Viking-era individuals were examined with modern computed tomography, in the search for infections, inflammations and other diseases. Photo by Carolina Bertilsson
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