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Research conducted by the University of Gothenburg looked into the remains of Vikings from Sweden’s Viking Age, and all they saw were problems. Previous studies examined teeth from ancient graves in Varnhem, Sweden, and now, the research has expanded to look at entire skulls to give us a peek into the quality of Viking health. Odontologists conducted CT scans on the skulls of Vikings and found a number of severe, pathological diseases. Infections, inflammation, and other conditions were common among Vikings.
Which diseases did they suffer from? How did these illnesses likely affect Vikings’ longevity and behavior? Click through the gallery to find out.
Odontologists at the University of Gothenburg in Sweden took CT scans of 15 Viking skulls to understand how Vikings lived and the kind of ailments that they may have experienced.
The study, published in the British Dental Journal Open, argues that Vikings suffered from many serious, pathological diseases stemming from chronic infections and inflammation.
The study’s corresponding CT scans revealed that many of the Vikings’ skulls showed signs of sinus or ear infections that left their mark on the skulls’ bone structures.
The skulls belonged to Vikings who represented a wide range of ages, between 20 and 60 years of age, but all suffered from at least one severe ailment.
The study was led by a dentist from Sweden’s Public Dental Service, who is also an assistance researcher at the University of Gothenburg, Carolina Bertilsson.
Experts involved in the study included academics, dentists, dental radiologists, and archaeologists, leading to a comprehensive analysis and fascinating conclusions emerging from the study.
The CT scans conducted by the research team produced 3D photos that provided advanced image analysis. Layers of bone, the jaw, and teeth were all studied with careful attention to detail.
Although the researchers couldn’t identify the driving force behind the prevalence of so much disease among the Swedish Vikings, their conclusions are incredibly insightful in terms of the lifestyle of the population. Pictured are Viking homes in Birka, Sweden.
The study revealed extensive disease traces in the Vikings’ skeletal structures. To study the origins of the various diseases, scientists would have needed access to soft tissue—none of which remains, of course.
One major benefit to this kind of study is the use of technology to prevent any damage to the Vikings’ remains. In fact, researchers are able to extract a lot of information through these in-depth CT scans while keeping the skull intact.
The skulls revealed a number of morbid conditions. Dental disease was among the most common of the ailments present in the skulls, while osteoarthritis was also present.
The stereotype about Vikings is that they were “hardy, healthy folk,” but this study certainly contradicts the idea that Vikings were nearly invincible.
Pathological bone growths were observed throughout the head and the jawbone, too. This indicates that Vikings likely experienced a great deal of chronic pain tied to their diseases.
The skulls, dating between the 10th and 12th centuries, had a series of dangerous, pathological diseases, such as dental caries, periodontal disease, sinusitis, and bone degradation caused by infections.
Their dental issues didn't stop there. A previous study identified deep carvings in Vikings’ teeth. Researchers believe that, in addition to social or cultural links, the grooves could also be a trading marker.
A popular theory is that these grooves may have served as some sort of initiation right or even a form of identification for specific groups of merchants.
A previous study on Vikings’ skulls also revealed cone-shaped skulls among women. The skulls of women buried in the Gotland region of Sweden likely point to a head-binding practice. Pictured is a Native American woman's head after head-binding.
The women's elongated skulls were likely modified from birth. This practice, which is likely due to the wrapping of their heads with bandages, is attributed to the nomadic Huns.
Have you heard of the nomadic Huns? This group of nomads was from Asia and lived in Europe during the fourth and fifth centuries. In fact, the inspired practice of head-binding continued through the 10th century in parts of southeastern Europe.
The practice was extremely localized among Viking communities, which indicates that it wasn’t a practice followed by all Vikings, but, rather, those with a particularly close connection with the Huns.
Researchers suggest that the skulls of these women belonged to members of the community who used the skull modifications as “tokens of influence and success in trading.”
Beyond the Vikings, oral disease was, unfortunately, quite common in ancient civilizations. For example, a 2024 study that looked at human skulls from the Qazvin plains of Iran, dating back to the Iron Age (2000 BCE), found extensive evidence of oral disease among its sample.
A 2014 study that examined the skulls of Romano-British communities dating from 200 to 400 CE also found a high prevalence of periodontal disease in its research, with a number of dental pathologies.
A study from the 1970s that examined the skulls of Native Americans also demonstrated a great deal of periodontal disease among the samples collected, as well as decay, tooth loss, and caries.
Periodontal disease was also found in historical writings from the ancient Egyptians, ancient Chinese, Sumerians, Assyrians, and Babylonians. Therefore, it’s not surprising that the populations that came after also suffered from oral disease.
Periodontitis, also known as gum disease, is an inflammatory response to oral plaque. Despite access to modern dentistry and routine health check-ups, many people continue to suffer from severe periodontal disease today.
Our lifestyles today, largely driven by processed diets, an increased consumption of carbohydrates, and harmful activities to oral health, such as smoking, are key contributors.
Although our ancestors did not have access to the healthcare or education we have today, and most did not even brush their teeth, comparatively, they still had better oral health than we do today.
This may come as a shock, but it does seem that our lifestyle habits are more dangerous to our oral health than they were for communities that lived thousands of years ago.
Sources: (University of Gothenberg) (Discover Magazine) (Nature) (Smithsonian Magazine) (Live Science) (National Library of Medicine) (Southwest Portland Dental) (Archaeology)
See also: Countries with the best (and worst) oral health in the world
A bone-chilling look at how Viking skulls reveal a myriad of severe diseases
Sweden's Viking population harbored severe oral disease, sinus infections, and more
HEALTH Ancient history
Research conducted by the University of Gothenburg looked into the remains of Vikings from Sweden’s Viking Age, and all they saw were problems. Previous studies examined teeth from ancient graves in Varnhem, Sweden, and now, the research has expanded to look at entire skulls to give us a peek into the quality of Viking health. Odontologists conducted CT scans on the skulls of Vikings and found a number of severe, pathological diseases. Infections, inflammation, and other conditions were common among Vikings.
Which diseases did they suffer from? How did these illnesses likely affect Vikings’ longevity and behavior? Click through the gallery to find out.