Isotopic provenancing of the Salme ship burials in Pre- Age T. Douglas Price1,Juri¨ Peets2, Raili Allmae¨ 2, Liina Maldre2 &EsterOras3

Ship burials are a well-known feature of Scandinavian archaeology, but N the discovery of 41 individuals buried in two ships in Estonia belongs to the Pre-Viking period and is the first of its kind in Europe. Tallinn The two crews met a violent end around AD 750, and were buried with a variety Salme of richly decorated , tools, gaming pieces and animal bones. The rich grave goods suggest that this was a diplomatic delegation protected by a cohort of elite warriors. They were armed with swords of Scandinavian design, possibly from the Stockholm-Malaren¨

0 km 500 region, and stable isotope analysis is consistent with that being the probable homeland of the crew. Keywords: Estonia, Pre-Viking Age, isotopic analysis, , grave goods

Introduction Salme is a small coastal village on the island of in western Estonia, on the eastern side of the Baltic Sea (Figure 1). In the summer of 2008, workmen exposed extraordinary archaeological finds, including human skeletal remains, iron swords and rivets, and bone gaming pieces. The objects were dated to around AD 750, the end of what is known in Estonia as the Pre-Viking Age, and in as the Vendel Period and the beginning of the Viking Age. None of the artefacts was of local origin, and a number of them exhibited a style associated with archaeological materials from Scandinavia, across the Baltic Sea (Konsa et al. 2009; Peets & Maldre 2010; Peets et al. 2011, 2013). During subsequent excavations, the remains of two ships were uncovered. The ships had been dragged approximately

1 Laboratory for Archaeological Chemistry, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI 53706, USA (Email: [email protected]) 2 Institute of History, Tallinn University, Ru¨utli¨ 6, 10130 Tallinn, Estonia (Email: [email protected]; raili.allmae@ tlu.ee; [email protected]) 3 Department of Archaeology, Institute of History and Archaeology, University of Tartu, Lossi 3, 51003 Tartu, Estonia (Email: [email protected])

C Antiquity Publications Ltd, 2016 ANTIQUITY 90 352 (2016): 1022–1037 doi:10.15184/aqy.2016.106 1022 iue1 h atcSaadsm ftelocations the of some and Sea text. the Baltic in mentioned The 1. Figure their met Salme, to came is who goal individuals Our the burials. of the origin of some of from place enamel the tooth consider on to measurements isotopic and carried perhaps buried and storms completely by then ashore were washed They were ice. soil. that by sediments and marine stones by with quickly covered quite partly and inland 100m uil ntesxhtnhcnuisA.Rpo oe ngae aebe on anyin mainly found been have graves S in and bones Uppland Raptor Sweden, AD. eastern centuries sixth–tenth the in burials ttest a aersle rmafnrlfato enlf sfo o h felf.There afterlife. the for food (Konsa as hawks left decapitated been bones) two or cattle of feast and remains funeral goat the a sheep, three of from also with lots resulted were together and have sets, bones may pig separate site few two the (a least at bones at Animal antler. to of belonging made bone, dice cattle and whale of pieces rcso x rsodct.I diin o kltnwsfud u nhalf. in cut found, was skeleton dog a addition, distinct In had cuts. individual sword second the or of skeletons skull the of the of and traces places, one three of in humerus through The chopped skeletons. been human had two and bosses shield two fragments, Allm 05msuhws fSleI( I Salme of containing south-west graves 30–50m 34 of 27 in found goshawk, the (Tyrberg is bones raptor species common most The 228–30). ee edsustesi uil,tepyia nhoooyo h ua remains, human the of anthropology physical the burials, ship the discuss we Here, h am Isi,lreypeevd a on yacaooit n21,approximately 2010, in archaeologists by found was preserved, largely ship, II Salme The ae ¨ tal. et stpcpoeacn fteSlesi uil nPeVkn g Estonia Age Pre-Viking in burials ship Salme the of provenancing Isotopic 2011 .I wdn h oe fbrso ryfeunl cu nwealthy in occur frequently prey of birds of bones the Sweden, In ). 2002 2,fi.11). fig. 228, : draln Se Vretemark & (Sten odermanland ¨ iue2 Figure .Tefis nsicue ayrvt,sword rivets, many included finds first The ). 1023 erate.Teewr lo7 gaming 75 also were of There combs antler. ornamented and deer of axe spear- fragments socketed small, and swords, a , two , included first of finds who The fragments site. workers the construction encountered of the Most by moved been had they position. where ship the recorded outside were sitting materials archaeological a the and been were in had two, individuals least males placed these human At of all, young ship. Seven perhaps this tall, oars. with found of of pairs skeletons long, six 11.5m with a approximately modern probably ship, by was rowing It damaged activities. heavily Salme overlapping construction was The the ship hull. the I joining of planks rows rivets horizontal with iron built, clinker of were ships Both burials ship Salme The et n eebre nteetoships two these coast. in the on buried were and death tal. et C 2009 niut ulctosLd 2016 Ltd, Publications Antiquity 1988 et Maldre & Peets ; 5;Tyrberg 153; : 2010 2002 ; :

Research T. Douglas Price et al.

Figure 2. The Salme II ship in different stages of excavation. Left: outline of ship rivets and humus stains together with skeletons. Skeleton layers I–III are visible; middle: skeleton layer IV, located transverse to the ship; right: excavated boat contour without skeletons (photographs by Juri¨ Peets and Reet Maldre).

Additional excavations in 2010 and 2011 exposed the entire length of the ship, along with the skeletal remains of 34 individuals. Five or six rows of rivets used in clinker construction were preserved from the ship, which was approximately 17–17.5m long and about 3m wide, with a keel for sailing (Peets et al. 2013). Such a boat would have held a crew of around 30 (Henrici Chronicon Livoniae VII: 2; Tarvel 1982). The 34 skeletons were stacked on the ship like firewood, in four layers within an area of 3 × 4m. The bodies had been buried with 40 swords (both single- and double-edged types, including examples with gilded and jewelled bronze hilts), covered by large, round wooden shields with bosses of iron, and by cloth, probably from the sail. Other grave goods included 15 ornamented antler combs, broken shears, beads, pendants of bear canines, bronze and C Antiquity Publications Ltd, 2016

1024 uidi orlyr,wt h otmlyrpredclrt h ogai ftesi,adthe (Peets and ship ship, the the of of sides axis the long to the parallel to layers perpendicular other layer three bottom the with layers, four in buried n oywih eecluae codn ofrua rpsdb ufadcolleagues and Ruff by proposed formulae to according were calculated ( extremities were lower weight and upper body ( of and Saller bones and long Martin The to used. according was measured tibia or humerus the absent, clycretpstos nttl 4cmlt rprilseeoswr eoddfo the from according recorded made were were (WEA determinations skeletons sex criteria and standard partial age to Biological or skull. solitary complete a 34 with along total, grave, anatom- In in placed positions. parts body correct dismembered with ically individuals burial, The during II. respect Salme with from treated exposed been skeletons had first the on observed were injuries imortem ( grave mass this in demonstrate used these technique drawings; and 3D arrangement facilitate to burial equipment the GPS using excavations, the during omleo rte n lsr( Gleser and Trotter of formulae pho- (Allm death speculative the is their from corpses estimated the of were of cause positioning bodies exact the the the site; of recorded; on positions were taken osteological burial tographs mixed skeletons probable of The male largely obvious. seven not consisted of was ship remains I the Salme but the material, from remains skeletal human The remains skeletal the of data analysis with article. Anthropological and this in conditions later local discussed with be will compared and of was Denmark, enamel, and colony Sweden dental Swedish from in the oxygen (Nerman to and Latvia day south carbon present or in Courland, Bornholm, in Liepaja of 1958 near Grobina), island as known the (also M Seeburg and the Baltic Denmark as the Gotland, across such westwards of places pointed to and non-local Sweden, were to finds archaeological The individuals. ships. document these the remains, in of and skeletal deaths ship the the in the in resulted of observed have wood injuries must the many that in the conflict stuck the with were a arrowheads along only the and, but of shields, found, ivory Many were the . arrowheads walrus of no and number and whalebone large spears A from few bodies. made the among pieces scattered Gaming been padlocks. had small and plaques, iron rmSleI h etpeevdskeletons best-preserved the I, Salme From grave ship I Salme osrcinwrshddsrydtelwrprso h xa kltn.SI1wsligwith lying was SaI/1 skeletons. axial the of parts lower the destroyed had works construction wounds, blade recorded. including also trauma, were any features skeletons, special other the and of completeness The below). brackets h kltlrmiso hs he e eefudi h tr ftesi n were and ship the of stern the in found were men (Allm positions three relaxed rather these in of buried remains skeletal The 2012 o ttr acltos h aiu egho eoa oewsue;i hswas this if used; was bone femoral of length maximum the calculations, stature For h oiin ftehmnseeosi h am Isi rv eercre precisely recorded were grave ship II Salme the in skeletons human the of positions The nipratqeto eadn hs nscnen h rgno h niiul on individuals the of origin the concerns finds these regarding question important An 9) stpcaayi fteSleseeos okn tiooi aiso strontium, of ratios isotopic at looking skeletons, Salme the of analysis Isotopic 198). : .TeNrhr uoenfruawsue o ii ttr siain,adthe and estimations, stature tibia for used was formula European Northern The ). stpcpoeacn fteSlesi uil nPeVkn g Estonia Age Pre-Viking in burials ship Salme the of provenancing Isotopic 1980 ukta&Ubelaker & Buikstra ; 1952 lrnrgo eto tchl,teSeihisland Swedish the Stockholm, of west region alaren ¨ , ae ¨ 1958 1957 2011 1025 nsitu in eeue o ttr siain sonin (shown estimations stature for used were ) ;tergtsd a sdi vial.Stature available. if used was side right the ); .Teuprseeoswr riuae,but articulated, were skeletons upper The ). eeSI1 a/ n a/ ( SaI/3 and SaI/2 SaI/1, were tal. et 1994 2011 ht Folkens & White ; C , niut ulctosLd 2016 Ltd, Publications Antiquity iue3 Figure 2013 .Egdwao per- Edged- ). .Tebde were bodies The ). ae ¨ tal et 2000 iue4 Figure . 2011 ). ). ).

Research T. Douglas Price et al.

Figure 3. Schematic 3D plan of the position and distribution of burials on Salme II (drawing by Reet Maldre). the shoulders up and the chin on the chest. This individual was a male, aged 25–35, with an estimated height of 1.812m (1.829m). SaI/2 lay on his right side with his head resting on the left shoulder of SaI/1. SaI/2 was male, aged 18–25, with an approximate height of 1.747m (1.767m). SaI/3 was lying prone, with his head turned to the left and his upper extremities stretched out behind him. SaI/3 was a young male, aged 25–30, with a height of 1.793m (1.813m). One premolar was collected from each individual for isotopic analysis.

Salme II ship grave The burials in the second Salme ship were quite different, distinguished by the regular placement of the corpses in a common, extended, supine position; by the respectful attitude C Antiquity Publications Ltd, 2016

1026 h otcmo bomlte fteuprcria pn (Lang of spine one cervical is upper This the bone). individual. of this parietal abnormalities of common vertebra left most the the the on observed and was fusion bone Atlanto-occipital vertebrae. frontal 73kg. second the and first both the (involving on observed skull injury was penetrating the 100mm-long decapitation a of of caused Evidence bone side that the blade left through a cut the with which slash of to heavy humerus, side a right and posterior the places; the to three on strokes in sword) blade exhibited five a skeleton forearm, vertebrae; from The right thoracic boss. (probably the shield the extended wounds damaged on stab an a placed injuries: was in been this perimortem row, had row of several upper sword burial top the broken On upper in upwards. A others palm the right. the was the in of which to all first although turned remains the left, heads The the ship, their to 82kg. had the turned of was of head weight side The and position. in west supine (1.746m) shown the 1.706m on is of lying grave height were mass estimated the an with in 40–60, skeletons these of position (1.776m) 1.743m present of height skeletons body 76.6kg. ten average of weight date, an characteristic body To indicate trauma and far exhibit ongoing. some so is and Investigations injuries decapitation. remains multiple of have human six weapons. II blades; sharp sharp Salme from from injuries injuries the of of presence the analysis by and The individuals; buried the towards shown preserved SaI/1–SaI/3, skeletons of portions Upper 4. Figure rhpei rbesadocsoal nuenuooia fet (Skrzat effects neurological induce occasionally and problems orthopaedic egto .0m(.4m.H a uida h rti h eodrwo h etside west the on row second the in first the as ( buried layer was He second (1.746m). the 1.704m of in mouth. medial height his buried the near was on found was and man tack ulna The iron left an head. the with femoral piece of gaming the end proximal of the edge on lower wounds blade exhibited skeleton kltnXI(aI2 eog oaml,ae 53,hih .9m(.3m,weight (1.732m), 1.691m height 25–35, aged male, a to belongs (SaII/2) XII Skeleton The analysis. isotopic for skeletons II Salme the of five from removed was premolar A aI3wstepol rsre kltno 53-erodml iha estimated an with male 25–35-year-old a of skeleton preserved poorly the was SaII/3 stpcpoeacn fteSlesi uil nPeVkn g Estonia Age Pre-Viking in burials ship Salme the of provenancing Isotopic 1027 nsitu in nteSleIsi poorp yK by (photograph ship I Salme the in iue3 Figure C niut ulctosLd 2016 Ltd, Publications Antiquity 1995 aI4i ae aged male, is SaII/4 . 4,admycause may and 54), : tal. et liRikas). ulli ¨ iue3 Figure 2010 .The ). .A ).

Research T. Douglas Price et al. of the ship. The body had been placed in an extended supine position, head turned to the left, left hand probably under the head. The right arm was stretched away from the body. A sword hilt of gilded bronze with a pommel with precious stones was found under his right upper arm, along with the head of a sacrificed dog. SaII/5 belonged to a male, aged 25–30. His estimated height was 1.797m (1.822m) and weight 87kg. The man was buried in the transverse bottom layer in extended supine position, head pointed to the east and resting on the left shoulder. A full set of gaming pieces and three dice, made of whalebone and walrus ivory, were placed in his lap (probably originally in a cloth bag); a damaged sword had been placed above his left hip. SaII/1 is a male aged 30–40, estimated height 1.769m (1.799m) and weight 79kg. A blade injury (probably caused by a single slashing blow) was present on the proximal end of the right ulna and distal lateral end of the left humerus. The man was buried in the transverse bottom layer, separately from the others, in the north-eastern part of the ship. He was placed in an extended supine position, with the head resting on the left shoulder. A single-edged sword had been placed between his body and left arm, parallel to the body. In summary, the individuals buried with the two ships at Salme were young, tall males, with substantial evidence for trauma and violent death. The Salme II burials were placed carefully in the ship in laid-out positions in a stack of bodies four deep. They were buried with weapons and other grave goods. Less is known about the context of the Salme I burials due to the nature of their discovery. In addition to questions about who buried them and how they died, we would like to know where they came from.

Isotopic analysis Light and heavy isotope ratios were measured in samples of tooth enamel taken from the three individuals from Salme I (SaI/1–SaI/3) and the five from Salme II (SaII/1–SaII/5). Premolars were chosen, as they are easier to extract and exhibit less diagnostic information than other teeth for various kinds of research. These are permanent teeth, and the enamel forms between 1.5 and 7 years of age (Woelfel & Scheid 2002). In this study, we have measured carbonate as a component of tooth enamel using the reference standard PDB (PeeDeeBee Carbonate). The isotopic composition of tooth enamel can provide information on diet and place of origin. Isotopic ratios of carbon, oxygen and strontium are deposited in the enamel apatite during formation and remain largely unaltered after death. In archaeology, enamel is used as a signal of place of birth. If an individual moves to a new location in a different geological context, or is buried in a new place, the enamel isotope ratio will differ from the new location, allowing the designation of that individual as non-locally born. Light isotopes of carbon in enamel provide information on childhood diet, e.g. marine versus terrestrial resources or certain species of plants. The isotopic ratio of carbon was measured in these teeth, but the results are not discussed further. Strontium isotope analysis provides a robust means of examining past mobility. The strontium isotope ratio of 87Sr/86Sr varies among different kinds of rocks, based on their age and composition (Faure & Mensing 2004). Strontium moves into humans from rocks and sediment through the food chain (Sillen & Kavanagh 1982;Price1985, 2000) and is deposited in the skeleton. Oxygen C Antiquity Publications Ltd, 2016

1028 soi isa h deo h ensada hedo h ot-etr atEuropean East north-western the on Shield Fennoscandian the Teedum & of (Raukas edge Shield the at sits Estonia Salme and Saaremaa Estonia, (Dansgaard rainfall and water surface environmental in and climate geographically many vary in and temperature for studies, proxy a as used widely been have isotopes ohi rnil n npatc,aedsrbdi h OSM. the in described are baselines, practice, for isotopic in procedures of and with determination principle the in together addition, both (OSM), In material measurement. supplementary and preparation online discussed sample the are in makes isotopes detail that carbon mobility more ratios and human later strontium isotope in investigate Oxygen, oxygen in straightforward. to in residence less used variation application of significant be their is place to there reflecting potential although turnover, the provenance, bone have and isotopes by oxygen individual Thus, the exchanged years. are of and apatite, life bone remains in the it present where through also individual, are isotopes an Oxygen of life. life through early unchanged the ions—during phosphate and carbonate ocean). both an (e.g. source evaporation the from distance and precipitation of amount elevation, rhelgclst tSlele tteha ftenro eisl fS of peninsula narrow The the of Saaremaa. head on the deposits BP, at Quaternary lies period. 000 Salme of 10 that at this extent from after site and sediments flooded archaeological sea location marine ice the with the this covered from on are of information emerged surface provides disappearance gradually the the of island following parts The large level Glacial. and sea Late in the rise during substantially the surface area earth’s and the depressed Baltic, ice glacial the of the weight in The to across island. primarily moved the sources, of lobes different west Glacial from and Pleistocene. sediments east depositing the directions, of several close in the island at the level sea in changes and materials. glaciation surface absent is or limestone thin of This areas limestones. in primarily alvar rocks, as (Raukas carbonate exposed island Silurian the of of entirely part composed western and acid the while in east, is dominate al. the island granite) in et the of gneiss) types underlying of (mostly basement forms rocks values (various rock igneous rocks country; crystalline metamorphic The the of Shield. of primarily European composed part from East northern data the the isotope of from strontium edge samples (Oras little materials 0.7106–0.7159 few very cover from a is the range have there where to we areas Although Estonia, 5 in absent. mainland visible of or are depths thin formations particularly at Alvar are layers of landscape. largely sedimentary level deposits, these rather Quaternary the cover sandstone. normally and limestone origin, of glacial largely Devonian the consists and to Silurian increasing and Ordovician, 100m, Cambrian, materials than of greater composed depths is at cover lie sedimentary The and south. country the of bedrock the form shield water drinking of ultimately and water, body of that reflects skeleton (Luz the in ratio isotope oa anal ao atr fetn rainfall affecting factors Major rainfall. local xgn rmrl rmdikn ae,i loicroae ndna enamel—into dental in incorporated also is water, drinking from primarily Oxygen, h ufc aeil n oorpyo h sado armaaetersl ftelast the of the are Saaremaa of island the of topography and materials surface The tal et 09.Tesdmnaypafr ntpo hsbsmn smte nthickness in metres is basement this of top on platform sedimentary The 2009). . 1984 stpcpoeacn fteSlesi uil nPeVkn g Estonia Age Pre-Viking in burials ship Salme the of provenancing Isotopic u Kolodny & Luz ; ae ¨ 1997 1985 .TePoeoocinosadmtmrhcrcso this of rocks metamorphic and igneous Proterozoic The ). tal. et ;Kohn 2016 1029 δ .Teiln fSaea iso h western the on lies Saaremaa of island The ). 18 1996 ausaepiaiygorpi:latitude, geographic: primarily are values O ,wihi unpeoiatyreflects predominantly turn in which ), C niut ulctosLd 2016 Ltd, Publications Antiquity reSi,aremnant a Spit, orve ˜ 1964 > .Teoxygen The ). 0macross 100m iue5 Figure

Research T. Douglas Price et al.

Figure 5. Quaternary deposits on the island of Saaremaa (Raukas et al. 2009), showing the location of Salme and the sites providing baseline samples from the island. of a large esker from the late Pleistocene. The immediate area around the site is low-lying and covered with marine sediments: clays, sands and gravels. We obtained a number of modern and archaeological faunal samples from Saaremaa to determine the local bioavailable strontium isotope ratios on the island (see Table 1). There are six samples of snail shells from four sites, and seven samples of small fauna and snails from the site of Asva, dating from the Bronze Age or Pre-Viking Age, located 44km north-east of the ship burial (Figure 5). In addition, there are eight samples of human tooth enamel from Salme, discussed in the next section. The strontium isotope ratios for the snails are provided in Table 1 and Figure 6. The values show a wide range, from 0.7094 to 0.7139. Measurement of fauna and snails from the Asva site exhibits a wide range of values with a bimodal distribution. The two snails and the rodent have 87Sr/86Sr values in line with the other snails from the island. The voles (Arvicola terrestris) have higher ratios approaching 0.720. These values, between 0.709 and 0.720, define the maximum range for baseline values for the island. C Antiquity Publications Ltd, 2016

1030 iue6 anladhuman and Faunal 6. Figure aeiefuaSeisCtlgeno. Catalogue Material Species Asva F9105 fauna Baseline Location from remains human no. and Lab. fauna baseline Saaremaa. from of ratios island isotope the oxygen and and Salme carbon Strontium, 1. Table 90 Asva F9106 90 Asva F9107 90 Asva F9108 97 uesaesalsel070 – – – – 0.7275 0.7109 0.7114 Tooth LRP2 enamel shell Skeleton SaI/1 shell Salme snail F9097 snail Kuressaare Human Kuressaare F9172 F9118 99 am a/ nmlLP 0.7299 LRP2 enamel SaI/2 Salme F9098 0.7130 (492) 3799:467 AI enamel S F9171 Rodentia Asva F9109 90 am aI5eae R20.7294 0.7311 0.7303 0.7282 0.7324 0.7237 LRP2 enamel LLP2 enamel LRP2 enamel LLP2 enamel LRP2 URP2 enamel SaII/5 enamel SaII/4 SaII/3 SaII/2 Salme SaII/1 Salme F9104 SaI/3 Salme F9103 Salme F9102 Salme F9101 Salme F9100 F9099 97 sasalsel079 – – – – – – – – 0.7094 0.7124 0.7139 0.7097 shell shell shell shell snail snail S snail snail crater Kaali F9116 Maasilinn F9114 Asva F9113 Asva F9170 F9115 a a ¨ ¨ r (S are r (S are ¨ ¨ stpcpoeacn fteSlesi uil nPeVkn g Estonia Age Pre-Viking in burials ship Salme the of provenancing Isotopic re ni hl .14–– – 0.7104 shell snail orve) re ni hl .18–– – 0.7128 shell snail orve) ˜ ˜ 87 rioaterrestris Arvicola rioaterrestris Arvicola rioaterrestris Arvicola rioaterrestris Arvicola Sr/ 86 rvle rmSaea sadadSalme. and Island Saaremaa from values Sr nmlA 68790.7188 3658:729 AI enamel oeA 7947(2)0.7189 (624) 3799:467 AI bone nmlA 7947(2)0.7199 (625) 3799:467 AI enamel oeA 7947(9)0.7190 (491) 3799:467 AI bone 1031  C niut ulctosLd 2016 Ltd, Publications Antiquity 87 Sr/ 86 Sr − − − − − − − − − − δ − − − 11.2 14.8 15.3 14.3 13.6 14.4 14.6 13.7 15.3 10.8 13 7.9 9.6 9.3 C − − − − − − − − − − − − − δ 18 7.5 7.8 5.9 6.8 6.2 8.0 5.6 5.1 5.4 4.6 5.9 5.9 6.3 O

Research T. Douglas Price et al.

Isotopic analysis of the Salme human remains The results of the isotopic analysis of the Salme human enamel samples are provided in Table 1.Theδ13C carbon isotope data from the enamel is a reflection of early childhood diet. It is very homogeneous in the Salme sample, and is not discussed further here. The 87Sr/86Sr for the eight Salme human samples averaged 0.7291±0.0027 (1 SD), with a range of 0.7237–0.7324. The strontium isotope ratios for the Salme humans, along with faunal samples from the site and from the island of Saaremaa, are shown in Figure 6. It is very clear that the human remains from the Salme ship burials are isotopically distinct from the snails and other fauna from the larger area of the island, as well as from the baseline samples from the Asva site. This is definitive evidence that the buried individuals at Salme are not local to the island. Moreover, it is very probable that these individuals were not from the eastern Baltic region, given the geological homogeneity of this larger region, and 87Sr/86Sr values generally below 0.720. The oxygen isotope data are less informative. Oxygen isotope ratios in the Salme human samples averaged −5.6‰±0.5 (1 SD), ranging between −4.6‰ and −6.2‰. A plot of 87Sr/86Sr versus δ18Oforthehuman samples from Salme is shown in Figure 7. The δ18O values are randomly scattered, and no clear pattern can be observed. The range of δ18O values is not inconsistent with values from the Stockholm region in central Sweden (mean =−6.4‰)andis slightly higher than ratios found to the south and on Gotland.

Figure 7. Scatterplot of 87Sr/86Sr versus δ180 for the eight human samples from Salme.

Interpretation and conclusion It is important to reiterate several points here. Isotopic analysis is useful for identifying non-local individuals in a burial population, but there are often a number of places with similar isotopic ratios that make the distinction of a single place of origin very difficult. In some cases, the combination of isotopic ratios (strontium, oxygen and/or lead) can help to delimit the original home of the buried individuals. Oxygen, however, is not a powerful discriminator in the Baltic region because similar values are found over a very large area. In order to constrain the possible homeland for the Salme skeletons, it is essential to combine isotopic and archaeological evidence to identify their place of origin more accurately. The artefacts found with the burials are of particular interest. These were generally quite rich and included gaming pieces (326), swords (about 40), arrowheads (91), antler combs (15) and shield bosses (15). Certain artefact types were present in very limited quantities, including ornaments: two brooches, a handful of beads made of different materials, two bear C Antiquity Publications Ltd, 2016

1032 erUpaa wdn(Nerman Sweden Uppsala, near h am hp aecoeprleswt h edladValsg and Vendel the with section parallels close wooden have the ( ships motif decorating Salme same the wire the and bears foil scabbard gold another of of band ornamental frieze-like repeated, rmtemdl fteVne eid ..A 0–5 (Salmo 700–750 AD i.e. Period, Vendel 1973 the of Finland middle and the Scandinavia from of parts other in graves (Nørg warrior furnished richly with and Sweden, ladns( omo garnet; of form (a almandines a of edge upper the on decoration bronze ( sword gilded Salme some A from on preserved scabbard information. wire, useful bronze gilded provide or bronze blades, gilded of single, ornaments a with remnants with associated is chronology. were there detailed dates, and highly different a together considerably obtain with located to items opportunity were include an however, finds they material, because the find and As event, limited short-lived Such use. fragments. positive shear a and has file and pendants, tooth canine iue8 rgeto h pe deo iddbronze gilded a of Maldre). edge Reet upper by (photograph the scabbard sword of Fragment 8. Figure it opooetaeadalac.Ti nepeaini lospotdb h atthat fact the by supported the also is for interpretation bearing explanation mission This diplomatic alliance. possible a and of One members trade as centres. promote is items to production Estonia high-status in gifts the individuals of Salme from spread the of the distant presence to quite contributed places practice to This families. aristocratic among h omlo iddboz eoae ihteiaeo ua-ae es n 25 and beast human-faced a of image the with decorated bronze gilded of pommel The scabbard and designs, Scandinavian with decorated bronze, gilded of hilts sword The l 5 0–0;Lm Rundkvist & Lamm 507–508; 55: pl. : r Jørgensen ard ˚ stpcpoeacn fteSlesi uil nPeVkn g Estonia Age Pre-Viking in burials ship Salme the of provenancing Isotopic 1999 iue8 Figure : g 49 fig. iue10 Figure a neataaou on ihteUtn hpburial ship Ultuna the with found analogue exact an has ) 1958 –) hs raettpsfo nadSee date Sweden inland from types ornament These 1–3). : lohscoeprles o xml ihtepommel the with example for parallels, close has also ) g 4;Nørg 241; fig. : iue9 Figure 1033 2005 iln eg Kivikoski (e.g. Finland south-western from burials several with M and the at in burial cremation Agget with grave warrior from the eyes almandine with beast a depicting otiprataogte eeHelg were them among important Scandinavia. for Most in trade centres and urban production large craft few relatively still Rundkvist 102–107). & (Lamm 520–600 approximately AD Period, Vendel the of phase from na sado h M the on island an on ftaecnrcsadpltclalliances political and contracts trade negotiations at of gifts luxury important were other items and garnets metals, precious by esteemed elites. foreign highly and were local centres these at (H Upp and ¨ 108). : .Tesodhlso iddboz from bronze gilded of hilts sword The ). ardh ˚ nobel,waosdcrtdwith decorated weapons Undoubtedly, uigteVne eid hr were there Period, Vendel the During ge a endtdt h earlier the to dated been has Agget ¨ r Jørgensen ard ˚ 2001 kai ot-etr Sweden south-western in akra ˚ resi uil erUppsala, near burials ship arde ¨ C .Tepout fjewellers of products The ). niut ulctosLd 2016 Ltd, Publications Antiquity lrndsrc nSweden, in district alaren ¨ 1938 lrLk nUppland, in Lake alar ¨ l LI Kivikoski XLII; pl. : 1999 1973 : g 49 fig. .Tefind The ). :2).A 2005 o ¨ :

Research T. Douglas Price et al. dogs and hawks had been placed with the Salme warriors as grave goods, in addition to luxury weapons and the abundant (326) gaming pieces. These items would not have been particularly suitable for a military campaign, but may be more related to the equipment of an entourage of envoys. Diplomatic deputations from that time always travelled with a well-armed cohort of elite warriors. The luxurious sword hilts with Scandinavian decoration found at Salme II have features similar to analogous finds from rich noblemen’s graves near Uppsala and other places in the Malar¨ region of Sweden (e.g. graves at Vendel, Valsgarde¨ and Ultuna). The production centre at Helgo¨ was their probable place of origin. Several other issues are important in understanding the Salme ship burials: political relationships in Scandinavia and the Baltic, trade routes and the introduction of sailing vessels. There were two powerful groups in Sweden, known as the Svears and the Gotars.¨ The Svears lived in central Sweden, concentrated around the Uppsala area and in the Malar¨ region; the Gotars¨ (also known as Geats or Goths), another North Germanic tribe, lived south of the Svears, in what is now much of Gotaland¨ (‘land of the Geats’) in Sweden. A central Swedish provenance for the warriors killed at Salme is supported by the location of trade routes, probably established in the Bronze Age. It is possible that there was a settlement and cemetery with a Scandinavian population on the Sorve˜ Peninsula, which was an island separated from Saaremaa by water throughout the Middle Ages. A group of stone graves in the middle of the present Sorve˜ Peninsula includes two ship-like stone contours and stone cists with finds of Scandinavian design. There were two major trade routes across the Baltic Sea. The northern route was controlled by the Svears tribal elite. The ancient seaway from Malaren¨ to the eastern part of the Baltic probably ran first across the archipelago of the Aland˚ islands between Sweden and Finland, and either entered the Gulf of Finland heading east to the Great Eastern Way (Austrvegr), or Figure 9. A frieze-like decorative band of gold foil and wire on a wooden part of a scabbard (X-ray photograph by Reet south through the straits at Salme, along Maldre). the island of Saaremaa to the amber-rich C Antiquity Publications Ltd, 2016

1034 hog h am tat.Nbee rmDnakadtesuhr os fteBaltic, the of coast southern the and Denmark from alongwiththeG Noblemen straits. Salme the through n h ra atr a,wihocsoal loldt iln nones ttms the times, conflict’. At ‘frozen encounters. so-called violent this to in led interfered also also occasionally Norwegians which Way, Eastern Great the and asg oteGetEsenWywr ne h oto fnblt rmtenorthern G the the from enmity of long-lived nobility a courts was of the There Denmark. between control and Germany the northern Poland, under present-day Way—were of the eastwards. Eastern part then Great to and the River Sea, to Dnieper Caspian passage the the to and rivers Volga River and Neva Neva Scandinavia the the from Finland, down route or of major Sea, Gulf the Black the was Way via Eastern Constantinople Great 25 to The and Latvia. beast of human-faced region a Courland of image an with decorated bronze, gilded of pommel sword Maldre). a Reet by of (photograph almandines views Four 10. Figure efrr uidna h hrln.LclEtnasne o aebe novdi n way. any in involved Svear been the have not left need that groups Local foreign shoreline. these the between near conflict buried armed seafarers an of victims the were Salme h hretruefo oradt h mte onr’i h M the in country’ ‘mother the to Courland from route shortest The h otencato h atcadteetaiso h ra iestesouthern rivers—the great the of estuaries the and Baltic the of coast southern The stpcpoeacn fteSlesi uil nPeVkn g Estonia Age Pre-Viking in burials ship Salme the of provenancing Isotopic tr,wne oto fta ot.I setrl osbeta h edat dead the that possible entirely is It route. that of control wanted otars, ¨ tr n h vasoe oto fteSadnva peninsula Scandinavian the of control over Svears the and otars ¨ 1035 C niut ulctosLd 2016 Ltd, Publications Antiquity lrdsrc ran district alar ¨

Research T. Douglas Price et al.

The research reported in this study was driven by a question about the origins of the individuals buried on the two ships at Salme. The combination of isotopic and archaeological evidence clearly points to the Malaren¨ region in central Sweden as the most probable homeland of those men who travelled to Salme, died violently and were buried hastily in two ships in around AD 750. Supplementary material To view supplementary material for this article, please visit http://dx.doi.org/10.15184/aqy. 2016.106 Acknowledgements Several individuals and institutions have contributed to the success of this project. Archaeological fieldwork on the Salme burial complex was supported by a research grant to Juri¨ Peets from the Estonian Ministry of Education and Science (ETF 7880), and by a target-financed research project of the Estonian Ministry of Education and Science (SF0130012s08) to Lembi Lougas.˜ The samples for baseline values from Denmark were provided by numerous individuals named in previous publications. Collaboration with Caroline Arcini is responsible for many of the Swedish samples. Samples from Oland¨ were collected by Helene Wilhelmsson. Ken Ritchie and Harry Robson collected the snail samples on Saaremaa; James Burton was responsible for processing the samples through the Laboratory for Archaeological Chemistry in Madison; Paul Fullagar (UNC) and David Dettman (Arizona) respectively measured the strontium and carbon/oxygen isotope ratios. Funding for the isotopic measurements was partly provided by the US National Science Foundation. The collection and analysis of baseline samples on mainland Estonia, conducted by Ester Oras, was supported by an Estonian Ministry of Education and Research institutional research grant (IUT20-7) to Valter Lang, and by the European Union, through the European Regional Development Fund (Centre of Excellence CECT).

References KOHN, M.J. 1996. Predicting animal δ18O: accounting for diet and physiological adaptation. Geochimica et ALLMAE¨ , R. 2011. Human bones in Salme I boat-grave, Cosmochimica Acta 60: 4811–29. http: the island of Saaremaa, Estonia. Papers on //dx.doi.org/10.1016/S0016-7037(96)00240-2 Anthropology XX: 24–37. KONSA,M.,J.VASSILJEV,R.ALLMAE¨ &L.MALDRE. ALLMAE¨ ,R.,L.MALDRE &T.TOMEK. 2011. The Salme 2009. Rescue excavations of a Vendel-era boat-grave I ship burial: an osteological view of a unique burial in Salme, Saaremaa, in E. Oras & E. Russow (ed.) in Northern Europe. Interdisciplinaria Archaeological fieldwork in Estonia 2008: 53–64. Archaeologica. Natural Sciences in Archaeology Tallinn: Muinsuskaitseamet. 2011(2): 109–24. LAMM,J.P.&M.RUNDKVIST. 2005. Bjornen¨ i Agget:¨ en BUIKSTRA,J.E.&D.UBELAKER (ed.). 1994. Standards vapengrav i Eds socken, Uppland och vendeltidens for data collection from human skeletal remains. vapen med djurfiguriner. Fornvannen¨ 100: 101–13. Fayetteville: Arkansas Archaeological Survey. LANG, J. 1995. Skull base and related structures: atlas of DANSGAARD, W. 1964. Stable isotopes in precipitation. clinical anatomy. New York & Stuttgart: Schattauer. Tellus 16: 436–68. http: //dx.doi.org/10.1111/j.2153-3490.1964.tb00181.x LUZ,B.&Y.KOLODNY. 1985. Oxygen isotope variations in phosphate of biogenic apatites. IV: FAURE,G.&T.M.MENSING. 2004. Isotopes: principles mammal teeth and bones. Earth and Planetary and applications.NewYork:Wiley. Science Letters 72: 29–36. HARDH˚ , B. 2001. Unter Gottern¨ und Konigen—das¨ http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/0012-821X(85)90047-0 religiose¨ und politische Zentrum Uppakra,˚ in LUZ,B.,Y.KOLODNY &M.HOROWITZ. 1984. B. Arrhenius (ed.) Kingdoms and regionality: th Fractionation of oxygen isotopes between transactions from the 49 Sachsensymposium 1998 in mammalian bone-phosphate and environmental Uppsala (Theses and Papers in Archaeology B: 6): drinking water. Geochimica et Cosmochimica Acta 67–72. Stockholm: Stockholm University. 48: 1689–93. KIVIKOSKI, E. 1973. Die Eisenzeit in Finland. Bildwerk http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/0016-7037(84)90338-7 und Text. Helsinki: Neuausgabe.

C Antiquity Publications Ltd, 2016

1036 R 00 e stpsd totu aslsrestes les dans strontium du isotopes Les 2000. – M N P O N R P P P eevd a 05 cetd 3Jl 05 eie:2 uy2015 July 29 Revised: 2015; July 23 Accepted: 2015; May 7 Received: EETS EETS EETS RICE AUKAS AUKAS ØRG ERMAN RAS ARTIN 29–34. arch squeletiques. //dx.doi.org/10.1016/S0047-2484(85)80023-3 Evolution States. United Midwestern the &L.L uilba nSlevlaea Saaremaa. v at Arheoloogilised village Salme in boat burial Age Pre-Viking of investigations Archaeological armaadHimaIslands Hiiumaa and Saaremaa EGieBaltoscandia. GEOGuide T in luunupud, kdme) tchl:Amvs Wiksell. & Almqvist Stockholm: Akademien). Funde hpbrasi 2011–2012. in burials ship soinJunlo Archaeology Estonia. of in Journal burials Estonian coastal Age Iron Pre-Roman Bronze and of analysis isotope migration: prehistoric .R U. Chr Waffengr skandinavischen zu Studien chronologische und Typologische nhoooi,I–III Anthropologie, Academy. iea eore fEstonia of resources mineral K L nEstonia in 78.Tlin jloInstituut. Ajaloo Tallinn: 47–88. 43–60. Estonia in fieldwork Eestis/Archeological ,E.,V.L ANEMAN ahelepanuv ONSA ..18.Tae fLt rhi ussec in subsistence Archaic Late of Traces 1985. T.D. , ¨ ,J.,R.A ,J.,R.A ,J.&L.M ARD ˚ . .B H. A., , ,A.&A.T oehgn Nationalmuseet. Kopenhagen: . ,R.&K.S eologiques. ´ .1958. B. , ATAS Knl itresHsoi c Antikvites och Historie Vitterhets (Kungl. J ,J.L OUGAS ˜ ØRGENSEN 2009. . ,M.M 4 449–60. 14: ANG 00 29–48. 2010: LLM LLM IMBO a ¨ ALDRE td e irtosd populations de migrations des Etude stpcpoeacn fteSlesi uil nPeVkn g Estonia Age Pre-Viking in burials ship Salme the of provenancing Isotopic AUERT 03 eerhrslso h Salme the of results Research 2013. . redlieEsiarheoloogiakogudest Eesti leide arseid ´ ¨ .Tma(ed.) Tamla U. AE AE ¨ ,E.R ¨ ¨ EEDUM ALLER rbnSeug ugaugnund Ausgrabungen Grobin-Seeburg. alit e ovle el‘Archeologie de Nouvelles Les ¨ ,L.M -S etuimhglgt fthe of highlights Geotourism ALVE &L.M .1999. A. , IMOVART o ¨ 00 am paadij Salme 2010. . ttgr:Fischer. Stuttgart: . ,S.W dEsi.Acelgclfieldwork Archeological Eestis. od ANNAM ¨ 1957. . AE &T.D.P ¨ http: ALDRE br 2/0bs90n. 900 bis 520/30 abern ¨ e..1997. (ed.). ALDRE ILLMAN aln:Estonian Tallinn: . AE ,G.V ¨ reloiie v Arheoloogilised afnudGr und Waffen eruhder Lehrbuch lsdasjad. Ilusad ,R.S ,L.V aln:NGO Tallinn: . ora fHuman of Journal 0 3–32. 20: 2011. . RICE ,E.P EDRU AAGE ARUL 06 Tracing 2016. . elg and Geology 2012: UURMANN ,M. a ¨ ,T.T ,M. nsdja anused ¨ aber. ¨ alit ¨ 80: OMEK o ¨ od ¨ : & 1037 R T S W 1980. Anthropologists. European of Workshop WEA S S W T 98 eeauto fetmto fsauebased stature of estimation of re-evaluation A 1958. – S T KRZAT ILLEN ALMO TEN ARVEL UFF ROTTER YRBERG OELFEL HITE erk ivmaKroonika Liivimaa Henriku aln:EsiRaamat. Eesti Tallinn: Aikakauskirja Finnland. rceig fte4 the in of Sweden, Proceedings in birds tamed and domesticated eomnain o g n e igoe of diagnoses skeletons. sex and age for Recommendations Sciences. Krak 215–31. issue)): 2001 Krak Group, Working selgsaaaye vygej yngre av analyser osteologiska 00 aeo ciiaiaini ua skull. human Morphologica in Folia occipitalisation of case A 2010. .H M. .B M. ilas&Wilkins. & Williams dentistry to relevance its http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/ajpa.1330250505 Anthropology Physical review. a research: paleodietary a ig C) Academic. (CA): Diego San Anthropology of and death. life after during long-bones taken stature of measurements on http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/ajpa.1330100407 463–514. 16: and whites American negroes. of bones long from stature http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/ajpa.22087 Anthropology Physical in Holocene. remains European skeletal the from estimation mass body and brandgravar. .S E. .. ..H B.M. C.B., , ,S.&M.V ,A.&M.K .13.DeWfe e eoigretin Merowingerzeit der Waffen Die 1938. H. , ..&PA F P.A. & T.D. , . .M I. J., , .(d) 1982. (ed.). E. , CHUPLEROV .20.Teacaooia eodof record archaeological The 2002. T. , ERNER .&GC G G.C. & M. , . ..S R.C. & J.B , ORA ( caZoogc Cracoviensia Zooloogica Acta mrcnJunlo hsclAnthropology Physical of Journal American ,H.M ora fHmnEvolution Human of Journal umnMuinaismuistoyhdistyksen Suomen ,E.G ROZ RETEMARK Fornv 2 79–123. 22: LI 127–60. XLII: C AVANAGH A ,J.F.J ´ OLT niut ulctosLd 2016 Ltd, Publications Antiquity AIJANEN AROFALO &D.T OLKENS th annen ¨ 93:134–37. 69(3): ,M.N erc hoio Livoniae. Chronicon Henrici CHEID LESER etn fteIA Bird ICAZ the of Meeting w oad 11 September 11–15 Poland, ow, ´ 5 67–90. 25: 4:601–17. 148: w oihAaeyof Academy Polish ow: ´ AWOREK otn(A:Lippincott (MA): Boston . 98 Storgravsprojektet— 1988. . mrcnJunlo Physical of Journal American 92 totu and Strontium 1982. . ,S.N mrcnJunlof Journal American OMPKINS 3 145–56. 83: 2000. . 2002. . 92 siainof Estimation 1952. . ,H.M.G ISKANEN rnltdb .Kleis. R. by Translated . &J.W IINIM arn ¨ mrcnJunlof Journal American ua osteology Human etlanatomy: Dental 02 Stature 2012. . len benrika alderns ˚ ,V.S 5(special 45 AKI ARVIN ¨ ALOCHA :517–49. 9: ,K.S LAD , EK ´ ALO . , , .

Research