A new study from the University of Gothenburg has revealed that Sweden’s Viking Age population suffered from severe oral and maxillofacial diseases, sinus and ear infections, osteoarthritis, and other ailments. Researchers used modern X-ray techniques to examine Viking skulls, uncovering a range of health issues that would have significantly impacted daily life.
This study builds on previous research that examined a large number of teeth from the Viking Age population of Varnhem, a site in Sweden’s Västergötland province known for its extensive burial grounds and well-preserved skeletons. Now, odontologists at the University of Gothenburg have expanded the research by analyzing entire skulls using computed tomography (CT) scans.
Signs of Chronic Illness and Infections
The findings, published in British Dental Journal Open, suggest that the fifteen individuals whose skulls were examined had suffered from a wide range of diseases. The CT scans revealed pathological bone growths in the cranium and jawbone, indicating infections and other conditions. Some individuals showed evidence of chronic sinus or ear infections, which left visible traces in the surrounding bone structures. Osteoarthritis and various dental diseases were also common. All of the skulls examined belonged to adults who died between the ages of 20 and 60.
Viking-Age Skulls Reveal Widespread Disease and Infections
American Buddhist Net 