tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8304928500646903522.post6818023209239819528..comments2024-03-28T18:32:05.933-04:00Comments on bensozia: BirkaJohnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01037215533094998996noreply@blogger.comBlogger2125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8304928500646903522.post-36863475961189009452021-06-03T17:08:50.114-04:002021-06-03T17:08:50.114-04:00"Viking" was a Norwegian word not yet kn..."Viking" was a Norwegian word not yet known to Germans in the 9th century.<br /><br />Beads were all imported.Johnhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01037215533094998996noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8304928500646903522.post-16682270204856159992021-06-03T14:38:10.765-04:002021-06-03T14:38:10.765-04:00It was a dangerous, violent time, and an inland lo...<i>It was a dangerous, violent time, and an inland location may have been safer. Ansgar traveled to Birka with a party of merchants, but they were attacked by pirates, lost their ship, and had to finish the journey overland, crossing (complains the author of Ansgar's Life) "innumerable lakes and rivers."</i><br /><br />Is the the choice of "pirates" instead of "vikings" at all significant here?<br /><br />The people of Birka had a particular thing for glass beads; thousands have been recovered from the cemetery, and dozens from the town. The originals are in Stockholm, but the on-site museum displays replicas of dozens of necklaces.<br /><br />Any idea if these were locally produced, or imported from abroad? If this was a major trade center for the area, it would make sense that if these were coming from somewhere else like the Mediterrean, they'd be found in large numbers as stocks would be kept for distribution and sale to the surrounding areas.G. Verlorennoreply@blogger.com