The eight pyrophyllite discs found in Ukraine were crafted between the 12th and 13th centuries and may have been used by Viking navigators.
O. Veremeychyk/Sprawozdania ArcheologiczneTwo of the medieval Viking discs discovered in Ukraine.
Researchers recently set out to determine the purpose of eight stone discs found in Ukraine that date back 900 years. Though nothing quite like the artifacts has been identified before, they bear striking similarities to solar compasses made of wood and bone found elsewhere in Europe. Now, a new study posits the discs were also compasses used by Viking navigators during the 12th and 13th centuries.
What’s more, the discovery of the discs alongside medieval trade routes suggests communities outside of Scandinavia may have adopted and even adapted the Viking technology for their own use.
Researchers Uncover Medieval Discs In Ukraine
O. Veremeychyk/Sprawozdania ArcheologiczneA fractured stone disc discovered in northern Ukraine.
Recently, researchers Olena Veremeychyk and Olga Antowska-Gorączniak took a closer look at eight medieval discs discovered across Ukraine. For years, scientists believed these artifacts may have served as calendars or tools used to sharpen objects or make jewelry.
The discs are made from pyrophyllite, a mineral common in northern Ukraine. It’s highly malleable, making it a popular choice for crafting.
However, the most striking aspect of the discs was their ornamentation. They all feature engravings of rings, lines, and other designs, which have long sparked curiosity about their purpose.
Together, Veremeychyk and Antowska-Gorączniak analyzed the eight discs and discovered that they were created between the 12th and 13th centuries. Moreover, three of the discs bore remarkable similarities to Viking solar compasses, devices used for navigation that calculate direction and latitude based on the position of the Sun.
“Through measurements and surface analysis, three stone disks (Kyiv, Listven, Liubech) exhibit similarities to Vikings’ Sun compasses, with a limited number of examples found in Greenland and the Baltic Sea region,” the researchers wrote in their study, which was published in Sprawozdania Archeologiczne.
The History Of Vikings In Eastern Europe And Their Influence On Local Populations
Public DomainAn artistic rendition of Vikings arriving in what’s now Russia.
In the eighth and ninth centuries C.E., Vikings began arriving on the shores of lands north of the Black Sea, areas that now include Ukraine, Russia, Belarus, and the Baltic states.
Many of the Vikings, sometimes called Varangians, built settlements in this area and integrated with the local populations. Along with their language and customs, the Vikings brought their technologies, including navigational tools used on their long and often perilous voyages across the sea.
According to recent research, the medieval discs may have been examples of such devices. The stone used to create the discs shows that they were made locally with Scandinavian influence.
“The origin of the raw material suggests local manufacturing,” the study notes. “At the same time, the form and function may have been influenced by Scandinavian traders and sailors, aligning with the presence of these discs along rivers within the trade route ‘from the Varangians to the Greeks.'”
O. Antowska-Gorączniak/Sprawozdania ArcheologiczneAn illustration showing the discs and their possible uses.
However, research is ongoing, and there are discrepancies between known Viking solar compasses and the ones found in Ukraine. For example, typical Sun compasses contain a gnomon, or a stick that casts a shadow, a feature that is distinctly missing from the Ukrainian artifacts. Solar compasses also typically include permanent marks to represent the equinoxes and solstices — another feature that is missing from the discs.
While it is possible that these marks were added temporarily to the compasses with chalk or charcoal, their absence has left cracks in the scientists’ theory. Still, as research continues, experts are happy to catalog yet another historical artifact evidencing the fascinating relationship between Vikings and other European populations.
After reading about the medieval Viking discs discovered in Ukraine, go inside the history of Viking berserkers, the Norse warriors who carried out raids under the influence of hallucinogens. Then, read about Sigurd Eysteinsson, the Viking chief who was killed by the decapitated head of his enemy.
