Scientists uncover the secrets of Ribe’s Germanic Viking alchemist

Archaeologists at the ruins of Ribe, a Danish trading port in the southwestern part of the Jutland Peninsula, Archeology and anthropology It is related to the evolution of metalworking and craftsmanship of early Danish Viking craftsmen in the 8th and 9th centuries. Established in early 8 years ^th Germanic Iron Age Century, fish It is the oldest surviving town in Scandinavia.analyzed Hoarding of alchemy The tools found there reveal a previously unknown secret about the evolution of metallurgy at the dawn of the Viking era.

Organize a huge amount of Viking Alchemist tools

Led by Dr. Vana Orfanou, a research team at Aarhus University In Denmark, we analyzed a collection of 8th century relics excavated from two locations in Ribe. This study details 1,126 samples of metalworking tools (crucibles and molds), 24 keys and brooches, and 24 pieces of metal rod ingots and spares. metal.. The goal of the research project was to analyze the sample from the surface of the tool to identify the type of metal contained in each object and used to create each object.

At Ribe’s Viking site, you can participate in Viking activities that were part of everyday life during the Viking era, such as metalworking and Viking alchemists. ((( Ribe by Kinge Center ).

By analyzing both the tools and the finished product, Orfanou said the team had a better understanding of how the metalworking process evolved over time at Ribe. The large amount of crucibles (clay cups) found proves the vast amount of metal smelted by fire in this settlement.The author discovered it early Viking According to research papers, 9th-century craftsmen have adopted “longer-lasting, more heat-resistant clay in crucibles.”

Viking era metal mapping

A series of “rapid technological advances” Viking era Researchers write that this is because the craftsmen have been exposed to new skills.Survey results published in Archeology and anthropology Ribe’s early Viking craftsmen were “innovative and diligent, within a century, advancing from mixing some random metals to refining the process to create highly specialized metal mixtures. I suggest.

A storehouse of ancient metal tools found in Ribe, Denmark, reveals eight metalworking secrets ^th Viking alchemist of the century. ((( Valerie Moiseev / Adobe Stock)

The analysis result of the artifact is Viking Craftsmen combined two or more metals into an alloy. However, it was also pointed out that these simple alloys were “not manufactured by combining materials in a consistent manner.” This is in contrast to the 9th-century metal workers who had tight control over alloys, as seen in metal consistency. Scientists said that “lead brass” was a common component in the 8th century, while “high zinc brass” was developed and used more commonly by the 9th century.

Where did the Viking alchemists learn the secrets of their craft?

A team of archaeologists discovered that Ribe craftsmen had melted metal ingots to create artifacts, and concluded that some of the ingots could have been traded with nearby Viking settlements. After calculating which metals were used to make the various artifacts, researchers began to notice patterns in their structure.For example, in the 8th and 9th centuries alloy Used for practical objects such as Key, “Because leaded alloys are easy to cast into molds.” By the 9th century, brass instruments were mainly used in decorative brooches. Scientists have concluded that this was probably due to the bright golden color that made it look good.

The results of their research are Crafting process Ribe’s procedure may show a system in which skilled craftsmen teach a new generation their trade tricks.However Alchemy skills of metallurgy It may have been imported into Ribe.They may also have been taught by craftsmen who honed their crafts in modern Viking settlements such as Hedeby, the second largest town in Scandinavia during the Viking era. Uppåkra In what is now southern Sweden.Over the years, archaeologists have discovered many traces Metal processing Advances in alloy production that were part of the process Globalization In Scandinavia, which originated from the Viking era.

Image above: At the Ribe Viking Center in Denmark, visitors can participate in activities such as blacksmiths and bronze casters to learn more about Viking alchemists and metalworking. ((( Ribe by Kinge Center ).

Ashley Kaui