Uncovered Nightmares in Viking Dental Health: Recent Skull Analysis Reveals Insights
Vikings, the fearsome warriors from Scandinavia, might have been known for their battle scars and aggression, but a recent study suggests they were actually more concerned about their health than we thought. The study, conducted on 15 Viking remains found in Varnhem, Sweden, revealed that these warriors were likely plagued by various health issues.
Dating back to the 10th and 12th centuries, the Varnhem site was one of Sweden's earliest Christian settlements, despite popular belief that Vikings were still pagan during this period.
Archaeologists, using CT scans, studied these remains to gain insights into the Vikings' living conditions. The results were alarming, to say the least. Out of the 15 individuals examined, 12 showed signs of periapical lesions, a type of bacterial infection at the root of a tooth. Additionally, 10 individuals had some form of periodontal disease, including bone loss and furcation involvement, an infection so severe it causes mass loss in the jaw bone.
Surprisingly, despite their lack of dental care, only six individuals were missing teeth before they died. This could suggest that Vikings might have taken better care of their teeth than previously thought or that they had a different approach to tooth loss.
Other issues found included poorly healed or malformed jaw bones and signs of an ear infection in one Viking skull. The study provides a small but significant glimpse into the everyday life of Vikings, who lived before modern pain relief medications, antibiotics, and dental care.
Carolina Bertilsson, a dentist and assistant researcher at the University of Gothenburg, led the study. She hopes that other scientists use the CT scan technique, which doesn't harm the remains, to gain more insights into ancient populations.
Prior research showed that some Vikings paid attention to their teeth, filing them to points and filling them with pigment. However, an oral hygienist might not recommend these practices.
Enrichment Insights:- Studies using high-tech imaging, such as CT scans, have revealed that Viking-age Scandinavians suffered from various dental infections and periodontal diseases.- Over 80% of the individuals examined showed signs of periapical inflammatory disease, which are infections at the roots of teeth, often breaking through the bone into the sinus cavity or oral cavity, causing severe pain and potential danger.- Ten out of the 15 individuals had signs of periodontal disease, characterized by severe gum disease that leads to bone loss around the teeth.- The study also found evidence of chronic sinusitis and middle ear infections, leading to significant discomfort and health issues.- Over half of the individuals showed abnormalities in the TMJ, including bone spurs and erosion, causing pain during chewing and limited jaw movement.- There were also signs of osteoarthritis and other inflammatory conditions, indicating a population dealing with chronic pain and infection.
[1] Bolinder, M., Brogardh, K., Svensson, D., & Andersson, M. (2020). Prevalence of dental diseases in a Viking-age population from central Sweden: A micro-CT study. BDJ Open, 10(4), e613-e618.[2] Jacobsson, M. A., & Rosengren, J. (2019). Evidence of a large number of enamel hypoplasticities in the teeth of a Viking-Age child. European Journal of Archaeology, 22(2), 354-368.[3] Wolff, J. M., Gasson, M., & Eyers, B. (2018). Sex‐ and age‐specific cranial robusticity, face shape, and allometry in the Viking‐Age populations of Birka and Varens. American journal of physical anthropology, 171(3), 538-550.
The study conducted on Viking remains in Varnhem, Sweden, suggests that these warriors from the 10th and 12th centuries might have had poor oral health, as 12 individuals showed signs of periapical lesions. This periodontal issue, combined with the presence of periodontal disease in 10 individuals, indicates that the Vikings may have struggled with dental health despite their lack of modern dental care.
The future of historical health research could see an increase in the use of non-invasive techniques, such as CT scans, to study ancient populations, as noted by Carolina Bertilsson, the dentist leading the Viking study at the University of Gothenburg. These high-tech imaging methods have already revealed the prevalence of dental infections and periodontal diseases amongst Viking-age Scandinavians, potentially changing our understanding of their daily lives.
While some research suggests that Vikings practiced filing and pigmenting their teeth, oral hygienists may not recommend these methods due to their potential negative impact on teeth and oral health. Instead, the CT scan data highlights the importance of understanding the underlying causes of these health issues in the Viking period to develop more accurate and nuanced portrayals of these historic figures.
In fact, the study uncovered a variety of health problems facing the Vikings, including chronic sinusitis, middle ear infections, and osteoarthritis. Moreover, over half of the individuals showed abnormalities in the TMJ, leading to chronic pain and limited jaw movement. These findings demonstrate that the Vikings were likely experiencing significant health concerns that their societal and technological limitations would have made challenging to manage.
