High-status Danish Vikings wore exotic beaver fursBeaver fur was a symbol of wealth and an important trade item in 10th Century Denmark, according to a study published July 27, 2022 in the open-access journal PLOS ONE by Luise Ørsted Brandt of the University of Copenhagen and colleagues.
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Written sources indicate that fur was a key commodity during the Viking Age, between 800-1050 CE, but fur doesn't often survive well in the archaeological record, so little direct evidence is available. Previous reports have used the microscopic anatomy of ancient fur to identify species of origin, but this method is often inexact. All in all, not much is known about the kinds of furs the Vikings preferred.
In this study, Brandt and colleagues analyzed animal remains from six high-status graves from 10th Century Denmark. While no ancient DNA was recovered from the samples, perhaps due to treatment processes performed on furs and skins and probably due to preservation conditions, identifiable proteins were recovered by two different analytical techniques. Grave furnishings and accessories included skins from domestic animals, while clothing exhibited furs from wild animals, specifically a weasel, a squirrel, and beavers.
https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2 ... 141347.htm
Palaeoproteomics identifies beaver fur in Danish high-status Viking Age burials - direct evidence of fur trade
https://journals.plos.org/plosone/artic ... ne.0270040
Danska vikingar med status bar förmodligen bäverpäls
https://sverigesradio.se/artikel/danska ... -baverpals