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Home Boundless meetings Family and hierarchy Divine craftwork Midgard Belief and traditions The living and the dead Waterways Trading and raiding 82: Prestigious weapons 83: Weights and scales 84: Many forms of payment 85: Brutal and lucrative slave trade 86: Jewellery and weapons from the East 87: Bone, antlers and pelts in the North 88: Trade and raiding in the West 89: Beads and slave trade in the South Town-like centres Christian monuments
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Trade and raiding in the West

The Vikings had contact with the western parts of Europe and the British Isles which can be seen in finds of silver coins, glass beakers, jewellery and lead weights. The fact that objects arrived in Scandinavia was doubtless the result of both raiding and trade.

The material jet – which does not occur in Scandinavia – was used to make jewellery. Jet is a black, lustrous variant of bituminous coal or lignite. It can be compact enough to cut, file and turn and polished to a beautiful lustre.

To ship many different kinds of goods, large earthenware amphoras were used.

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Rings

  Rings

Ladle

  Ladle

Reticella beaker

  Reticella beaker

Coin

  Coin

Silver disc

  Silver disc

Strap end mount

  Strap end mount

Spindle whorle

  Spindle whorle

Equal-armed brooch

  Equal-armed brooch

Coin pendant

  Coin pendant

Coin (penny)

  Coin (penny)

Weight

  Weight

Gaming piece

  Gaming piece

Relief-ribboned amphora

  Relief-ribboned amphora