PLoS ONE (Jan 2017)

Three individuals, three stories, three burials from medieval Trondheim, Norway.

  • Stian Suppersberger Hamre,
  • Geir Atle Ersland,
  • Valérie Daux,
  • Walther Parson,
  • Caroline Wilkinson

DOI
https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0180277
Journal volume & issue
Vol. 12, no. 7
p. e0180277

Abstract

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This article presents the life stories of three individuals who lived in Trondheim, Norway, during the 13th century. Based on skeletal examinations, facial reconstructions, genetic analyses, and stable oxygen isotope analyses, the birthplace, mobility, ancestry, pathology, and physical appearance of these people are presented. The stories are discussed within the relevant historical context. These three people would have been ordinary citizens, without any privileges out of the ordinary, which makes them quite rare in the academic literature. Through the study of individuals one gets a unique look into the Norwegian medieval society.