Oseberg tapestry fragments

The Oseberg find was excavated in the summer of 1904 on the Oseberg farm at Slagen, not far from Tønsberg. The burial mound was excavated by Professor Gabriel Gustafson and his team from the University of Oslo. Most of the textiles that were found within the ship were found in the burial chamber. They had also been pressed together in hard "cakes" due to the clay and soil that filled the inside of the ship, which had also been a very difficult job to disintegrate. Some of these textiles were also stuck to large clumps of feathers, which originally were in the beds of the burial chamber. The women were assumed to be some kind of royalty due to the elaborate nature of the burial mound and its contents. They have been labeled as queens, queen-consorts, widowed queens, or kings mothers. The skeletal remains of horses, oxen, and dogs were also found in and around the burial mound. Other grave goods Most of the artifacts that were buried within the ship alongside the women were found in the forepart of the ship. Many of the ship’s tools such as the oars, a gangway, a bailing vessel, tubs, pails, etc. were found here. There was also an ornamented cart, decorated sleighs, and a wood sled found within these artifacts. Skeletons of animals were also found in and around the ship. Some personal effects that were found with these women were chests, buckets, and carved posts in the shape of animal heads. There was no jewelry found on or around the remains, which led archaeologists to come to the conclusion that any had been stolen by the robbers, as personal jewelry is an important factor in a Viking woman’s burial. == Description ==

The tapestry is in poor condition and is assumed to be a part of the funeral offering of the ship burial. Due to its state of decay several years were required for its extraction, and today its extraction is still yet to be completed. The two largest, which are also the most well-preserved fragments, depict figures of armed people and animals moving to the left as if they are part of a funeral procession or religious ceremony. The tapestry is stylistically similar to the Bayeux tapestry, because of its narrative art style, colors, and overall movement of the forms. The figures in the Oseberg tapestry move horizontally such as those in the Bayeux tapestry. Both are also referred to as “tapestries” while they are both embroideries, since the design is not woven into the cloth. == Materials ==

The fragments are all made from wool and silk, as well as other plant-based materials such as flax, which have since disintegrated prior to their discovery. There is no trace of linen in the tapestry due to the condition that it was found in, but flax was cultivated into linen during this time period, and tools used for linen work were also found within the ship. It is assumed that the silk was imported, while the woolen contents were native work. == Historical context ==

Viking burials The living had a duty to care for the dead and bury them, and all of the dead were treated with the utmost respect, no matter who they were. The first step of the burial is typically the treatment of the body. Both the eyes and the mouth of the body were shut, and they were washed with their hair combed. Following the treatment, the body was then placed on a straw bed, and after a number of days the corpse could then either be buried or burnt. Inhumation was the most common form of burial, typically in some kind of coffin, or in more elaborate cases, in a chamber. Cremation was also occasionally practiced. Following the treatment of the body, if the body was intended to be buried, a grave would be formed. These graves could be created in a variety of forms such as, circular, triangular, oval, or in the shape of a boat. There was a need for this wide variety of styles. Textiles were needed for clothing, whether it was everyday garb or special costumes. They were needed for upholstery, bedding, carpets, and wall hangings, as well as many other purposes. One of the most important needs for textiles was for sails and tents. The materials varied, primarily wool and plant fibers such as flax, but other materials like silk, gold, and silver threads were also used. Textile fragments have been found in many different burials, along with textile tools. The manufacture of textiles was important during the Viking Age, but it also required the work of several people. The production process included the harvesting of the fibers and then preparing them for spinning and weaving, before finally sewing them into the finished product. Textiles and the raw material required for textile production were traded and exchanged for valuable goods. == References ==