Nielsen thinks the second man could have been a relative or successor of the first man. This man was also buried with his ax, although it was not as large as the ax from the original burial, the researchers said. But definitely, these two were the ones in charge, the noblest people of the local area.'Īt some point in time, after the first man and woman were buried, a second man was buried in a grave inside a wooden structure that was added to the original tomb. 'I can't say it isn't a brother and sister, or it could be husband and wife relationship. 'The special thing about this tomb is that these two people, each in their own grave, are put inside the same structure,' she said. Nielsen said the man and woman in the tomb may not have been husband and wife, but they were clearly the local 'power couple.'

'She also had gold and silver threads woven into her clothing, so this is quite fine,' Nielsen said. One of the keys was for a small wooden casket, bound with iron brackets, that was buried beside her.

'If you are an important woman, with a lot of fine artifacts with you in the grave, then you also have a key,' she said. Keys were a symbol of authority and distinction for women in Denmark and elsewhere in Europe in the Middle Ages, and the tradition likely dated back to an earlier time, Nielsen said. The woman was buried lying in a wooden wagon, which was a tradition for women of noble birth at the time, and a pair of keys found in the tomb indicated that she was one of the leading people in the community, according to the archaeologists. The individuals were identified by their clothing and belongings, and the only human remains that survived the centuries was a single black human hair found in the woman's clothing. 950 for the burial of a man and a woman of evident distinction, Nielsen said.

One of three people found in the tomb was a wealthy Viking woman, who was buried in a wooden cart similar to this reconstruction at Silkeborg Museum.

Beatles and the mighty vikings