“Unearthing the Past: The Stunning Face of a 1,000-Year-Old Viking Warrior Revealed—What Secrets Does Her Expression Hold?”
British scientists presume that the apparent head wound on her skull came from a sword, though whether this was the woman’s cause of death remains unknown. Examination on her remains has shown signs of healing, which could indicate this had been a much older injury.
Nonetheless, the 3D facial reconstruction has brought her visage back to life after more than 1,000 years — complete with brutal laceration. Al-Shamahi believes this is “the first evidence ever found of a Viking woman with a battle injury.”
The detailed digital restoration itself is certainly eye-catching. But perhaps even more fascinating is that the idea that female Vikings weren’t warriors is being firmly contested once again.
The misguided argument was most recently challenged in 2017, when a DNA test confirmed a warrior buried with weaponry and horses in Sweden had been female.
For Al-Shamahi, merely looking upon a reconstruction of the woman — whose remains are now preserved in Oslo’s Museum of Cultural History — has been a scientific victory.
An expert in ancient human remains, Al-Shamahi is set to present an upcoming National Geographic documentary on the achievement.
“I’m so excited because this is a face that hasn’t been seen in 1,000 years,” said Al-Shamahi. “She’s suddenly become really real,” she said, adding that the grave was “utterly packed with weapons.” According to Ancient Origins, many Viking warriors believed that weapons could be used in the afterlife.
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