After metal detectorists found brooches on Senja Island, a team of archaeologists conducted a full excavation and discovered the Viking woman and dog burial.
The Arctic University Museum of Norway, UiTThe skull of the elite Viking woman was buried just eight inches beneath the soil.
On the remote Norwegian island of Senja, archaeologists have unearthed a Viking boat grave that dates back to 900 C.E. and holds the remains of an elite woman and her canine companion.
The burial was initially discovered by metal detectorists two years ago, but it was only excavated in May 2025, and researchers were shocked by how well-preserved the skeletons and grave goods were. Now, the burial is providing rare insight into the personal lives of the Vikings who lived in Norway more than 1,000 years ago.
A Viking Boat Burial On Senja Island
The Arctic University Museum of Norway, UiTThe site of the Viking boat grave on Senja Island.
Two years ago, metal detectorists were exploring Senja Island when they discovered a pair of bronze, bowl-shaped brooches and exposed rib bones beneath a thin layer of topsoil. That discovery prompted local archaeologists to carry out a full excavation of the area last month.
The archaeological dig led to the discovery of the boat grave, the elite Viking woman’s body, and the skeleton of a small dog that was likely her pet.
“The dog appears to have been placed with great care,” archaeologist Anja Roth Niemi told Science Norway. “While dogs in graves aren’t unheard of, their presence is still relatively rare. This one adds a deeply personal touch to the burial.”
The Arctic University Museum of Norway, UiTThe skeleton of the Viking dog buried alongside the woman.
The boat itself measured around 18 feet in length. According to Niemi, this sort of grave is indicative of a person of high status in Viking society, as “only the elite would receive a burial like this.”
“We believe the woman buried here held significant status locally, and perhaps even across the region,” Niemi added. “She wasn’t at the very top of the social ladder, but she was clearly an important figure.”
The Grave Goods Buried With The Elite Viking Woman
The Arctic University Museum of Norway, UiTThe skeleton likely belonged to an elite member of Viking society.
Viking literature also makes note of the deep bond between Vikings and their dogs, so a dog being buried alongside the woman is unsurprising, if somewhat rare.
“There are stories of prominent people doing everything in their power when their dog became ill. So even back then, people had deep bonds with their animals,” Niemi said.
Alongside the bodies, the archaeologists also uncovered other objects often associated with high-status burials, including two beads made of either bone or amber and a pendant in the shape of a ring. There was also a whale bone object that might have been a textile tool known as a weaving sword.
Ida Fløystad Brevig/The Arctic University Museum of NorwayOne of the oval brooches uncovered in the grave.
“It’s poorly preserved and was removed along with a lot of surrounding soil, so we need to examine it further before we can be certain,” Niemi said. “But so far, that’s the most likely explanation.”
Now, researchers hope to put the skeletal remains through further analysis to determine the age and health of the woman and possibly even the type of dog she owned.
The Arctic University Museum of Norway, UiTArchaeologists believe there may be another grave nearby.
“The skeletal material can provide a wealth of information about the individual, but also about the society she lived in,” Niemi said. “We’ll learn about the kind of work she did, whether she went through periods of poor nutrition, and whether she lived in different places during childhood and adulthood.”
Niemi added that there is some evidence to suggest more graves could be lying undisturbed nearby. She said the team is eager to explore more of the site to find what secrets may be lurking just beneath the surface.
After reading about the boat grave of an elite Viking woman and her dog uncovered in Norway, learn all about the mighty Viking berserkers. Or, see our collection of Viking facts that will change how you think about this historical culture.
