Chests, Caskets & Boxes

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Chests, Caskets & Boxes

Furniture & Storage



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Viking Age Compendium articles on Furniture & Storage:
VA House Chest.JPG
Chests, Caskets & Boxes
Viking Age Compendium articles on Furniture & Storage:
VA House Chest.JPG
Chests, Caskets & Boxes


Although the terms chest, casket and box are not well defined, here we have used whatever term is commonly applied to the item in the associated published literature. Petersen defines the difference between caskets and chests by stating that chests should be large, with strikingly large carrying-rings, hinges and keys. [PETERSEN 1951]:p.532 Arwidsson & Thorberg class anything under 1m in length as a casket (Kasten), anything less than 25cm in diameter or length as a box (Buechse). [ARWIDSSON 1989]:p.113

Summary by Area

Denmark

In Hedeby 10 boxes were found in 9 graves, of these only 2 were male graves. The majority of caskets from Hedeby were in female chamber graves. Eisenschmidt also references to another piece of her published works where she states that metal covered caskets are known from 50-60 graves in the area of Old Denmark. [ARENTS & EISENSCHMIDT 2010A]:p.166-168

Sweden

Arwidsson and Thorberg have classified the boxes from Birka into 4 groups:
Birka [ARWIDSSON 1989]:p.114
Group A: Metal bands and / or nails - no lock
Group B: Metal bands and / or nails - with a lock
Group C: Covered in metal with a lock and a domed lid
Group D: Round boxs or tins made from wood or iron and covered in copper-alloy.



Chests

Used instead of cupboards [Roesdahl 1982]. Sometimes converted to be used as coffins.

Isle of Man, Peel - Grave IV

Example.jpg
Current Location-



Scotland, Whithorn: 6 Chests / coffins

Box - England, Whithorn (Nicholson 1997).jpg
Current Location-
Type-
Chest 1: Grave II/1: AD c.710-845
Chest 2: Grave II/2: AD c.710-730
Chest 3: Grave II/3: AD c.710-730
Chest 4: Grave II/4: AD c.710-845
Chest 5: Grave II/54: AD c.710-845
Chest 6:
Find Date-
Construction-
Chest 1: Wood with iron fittings and 2 iron hasps. Possible remains of a lock.
Chest 2: Wood with iron fittings and iron straps. Remains of a lock and key.
Chest 3:
Chest 4: Wood with iron fittings, iron strips and iron hasps. Remains of a lock and key.
Chest 5: Wood with iron fittings and iron strips.
Chest 6:
Contents-
Dimensions-
Comments-
Bibliography-



Denmark, Forlev

Example.jpg
Current Location-



Denmark, Fyrkat

Box - Denmark, Fykat (VAC 31).jpg
Current Location-



Denmark, Lejre - Grave 22b

Example.jpg
Current Location-
Type- Grave Find
Find Date-
Construction- Wood with iron hinges and a lock. Strengthened by iron bands.
Contents-
Dimensions- L:147cm W:37cm H:28cm (Roesdahl 1982)
Comments- Used as a coffin. One end broken to fit the body. (Roesdahl 1982)
Bibliography-



Denmark, Jelling - North Mound

Example.jpg
Current Location-
Type- Grave Find
Find Date- AD 1820. Destroyed during excavation. (Roesdahl 1982)
Construction- Only 2 iron rings and some rivets have survived. Original description from 1820 "... the casket, which is almost rotted away, looking like a small trunk, 3¼ ells long; the bottom was calked with plaits of hair and held together with rivets. In its side was two iron rings... The lid consisted of two conves boards, with shanks of haor between them. There were traces of canvas on the outside of the casket as well as a very small piece of a narrow strip which looked like thin silver. (Roesdahl 1982)
Contents-
Dimensions- L:200cm (Graham-Campbell 2002)
Comments-
Bibliography-



Denmark, Halleby

Example.jpg
Current Location-
Type-
Find Date-
Construction-
Contents-
Dimensions-
Comments- Used as a Toolbox
Bibliography-



Denmark, Tjele

Example.jpg
Current Location-
Type-
Find Date-
Construction-
Contents-
Dimensions-
Comments- Used as a Toolbox
Bibliography-



Norway, Oseberg 149

Box - Norway, Oseberg O1904 149c (www.unimus.no).jpg
Current Location-
Type- Grave (Female)
Find Date-
Construction-
Contents- articles for women's work, 2 lamps, comb and scissors
Dimensions-
Comments-
Bibliography-


Norway, Oseberg 156

Box - Norway, Oseberg O1904 156 (www.unimus.no).jpg
Current Location-
Type- Grave (Female)
Find Date-
Construction-
Contents- hide, cloth and 2 combs
Dimensions-
Comments-
Bibliography-



Norway, Oseberg 178

Box - Norway, Oseberg O1904 178 (www.unimus.no).jpg
Current Location-
Type- Grave (Female)
Find Date-
Construction-
Contents- wild apples
Dimensions-
Comments-
Bibliography-



Sweden, Mastermyr

Current Location-
Type- Hoard
Find Date-
Construction- Oak
Contents-
Dimensions-
Comments- Used as a Toolbox
Bibliography-




Caskets - Wood with metal fittings

England, Bishopstone no.53

Example.jpg
Current Location-
Type- Settlement
Find Date-
Construction-
Contents-
Dimensions-
Comments-
Bibliography-



England, Cumwhitton - Grave 1

TH Cumwhitton Box -replica.JPG
Current Location- Tulee House Museum



Isle of Man, Cronk yn How

Example.jpg
Current Location-



Scotland, Arran: King's Cross Point

Example.jpg
Current Location-



Scotland, Skye: Skeabost

Example.jpg
Current Location-




Denmark, Hedeby: Chamber Grave 5

Hedeby Chest.JPG
Current Location- Hedeby Viking Museum
Type- Chamber grave C10th
Find Date-
Construction- Wood, iron sheet with decorative nails, domed lid with a handle, 4 hinges, 3 iron hasps with copper alloy animal heads.
Contents- knife and scissors, covered in textiles
Dimensions- L:54cm W:30cm H:20cm
Comments- Classed as a Birka Group C. Very similar to the casket found in Birka grave Bj.645
Bibliography-


Denmark, Hedeby: Grave 45

Example.jpg
Current Location- Hedeby Viking Museum
Type- Coffin grave, C10th
Find Date-
Construction- wood covered in silver plated iron bands, 2 hasps: 1 copper alloy dog and 1 silver plated horse or bird
Contents-
Dimensions- L:60cm W:30cm H:20-23cm
Comments- Birka group B
Bibliography-



Denmark, Hedeby: Grave 497

Example.jpg
Current Location- Hedeby Viking Museum
Type- C10th grave
Find Date-
Construction- wood with iron and copper alloy bands, hinges and a lock
Contents- scissors, awl, tweezers, bell
Dimensions- L:35cm W:20cm
Comments- Birka Group B
Bibliography-



Denmark, Hedeby: Chamber Grave 1

Example.jpg
Current Location- Hedeby Viking Museum
Type- Chamber Grave C10th
Find Date-
Construction- only lock plate and lock remains
Contents-
Dimensions-
Comments- Birka Group B
Bibliography-



Denmark, Hedeby: Chamber Grave 4

Example.jpg
Current Location- Hedeby Viking Museum
Type- Chamber Grave C10th
Find Date-
Construction- wood, domed lid with a handle on the lid, hinges and a lock fragment
Contents-
Dimensions- L:20cm W:20cm
Comments- Birka Group B
Bibliography-



Denmark, Hedeby: Chamber Grave 2

Example.jpg
Current Location- Hedeby Viking Museum
Type- Chamber Grave C10th
Find Date-
Construction- cylindrical wooden casket with an iron bottom and 240 nails in 5 rows (top row further in and pointing outwards), sliding bar lock with a dog head terminal. Copper alloy ring on the top.
Contents- 4 chain links and a piece of brocaded tablet weave
Dimensions- Dia:30cm H:12cm
Comments- Birka Group D. It is possible this casket contained bowls decorated with the nails, rather than these being part of the casket, this was observed in a grave from Thumby-Bienebek. Other, less complete, Birka Group D boxes were found in the boat chamber grave and grave 497.
Bibliography-



Denmark, Hedeby: Harbour

Hedeby Chest-2.JPG
Current Location-
Type-
Find Date-
Construction-
Contents-
Dimensions-
Comments-
Bibliography-

[[category:]]


Norway, Oseberg

No.37
No.69
No.103
No.104b
No.169c

Caskets - Whale-bone

England: Franks Casket

BM Franks Casket 1 Front.JPG
Current Location- British Museum
Type- AD 700-750, Northumbria
Find Date-
Construction- Whale-bone
Contents-
Dimensions- L:23cm W:19cm H:13cm
Comments-
Bibliography-


Germany - Bamberg Casket

Also known as 'Casket of St Kunigunde'

Current Location- Bayerisches Nationalmuseum MA 286
Type- c. AD 1000
Find Date- acquired in 1860
Construction- Oak with ivory and gilt copper-alloy.
Contents-
Dimensions- H:13.3cm x W:25.7cm x L:25.0cm
Comments- Ivory may be mammoth.
Bibliography-



Germany - Cammin Casket

Current Location- Destroyed during the 2nd World War.




Caskets - Wood with bone-mounts

Ireland, Dublin: Christchurch place

Box lid with bone plates, Dublin Christchurch Pl. NMI-E122.16345 (R5-15).JPG
Current Location- National Museum of Ireland E122.16345
Type-
Find Date-
Construction-
Contents- n/a
Dimensions-
Comments-
Bibliography-


England, Winchester: Ludgershall Castle

Example.jpg
Current Location-
Type- C11th-12th
Find Date-
Construction- Only the lid survives. Bone mounts, some backed with silver sheet. Remains of two metal hinges.
Contents- n/a
Dimensions-
Comments-
Bibliography-



England, Bishopstone no.57

Example.jpg
Current Location-
Type- Settlement
Find Date-
Construction- Bone mount
Contents-
Dimensions-
Comments-
Bibliography-



England, York: Coppergate 6964

Example.jpg
Current Location- Jorvik Museum
Type- Settlement mid C11th
Find Date-
Construction- Only the lid survives. Oak board with bone mounts.
Contents- n/a
Dimensions-
Comments-
Bibliography-



England, York: Castlegate

Example.jpg
Current Location- Yorkshire Museum YORYM 500.1-6.48
Type- Settlement
Find Date-
Construction- Only the lid survives. Oak board with bone mounts, some backed with sheet bronze.
Contents- n/a
Dimensions-
Comments-
Bibliography-




Boxes - Wood

Ireland, Dublin: Christchurch Place

Box, Dublin NMI-E122.17155 (L8-21,DW6).JPG
Current Location- National Museum of Ireland E122:17155


Ireland, Dublin: Fishamble Street

Example.jpg
Current Location- National Museum of Ireland E190:7101
Type- Settlement
Find Date-
Construction-
Contents-
Dimensions- L:22.2cm
Comments-
Bibliography-



Ireland, Dublin: Christchurch Place

Example.jpg
Current Location- National Museum of Ireland E122:639
Type- Settlement
Find Date-
Construction-
Contents-
Dimensions- fragment L:7.9cm
Comments-
Bibliography-



Ireland, Dublin: High Street

Example.jpg
Current Location- National Museum of Ireland E43:2341
Type- Settlement - unstratified
Find Date- 1973
Construction-
Contents-
Dimensions- fragment L:12.7cm
Comments-
Bibliography-



Norway, Oseberg

No.56c
No.60a
No.104a


Band-boxes

Also known as "Chip boxes" or "Lath-walled boxes".


References

Arwidsson, Greta (ed.) (1989) Birka II:3 Systematische Analysen der Graberfunde. [Systematic Analysis of the Graves Findings] Birka, Kungliga Vitterhets Historie och Antikvitets Akademien: II:3 [ARWIDSSON 1989] ^ 1 2 *
Arents, Ute & Eisenschmidt, Silke (2010) Die Gräber von Haithabu. Band 1: Text, Literatur. Die Ausgrabungen in Haithabu. 15/1. [The Graves of Hedeby. Volume 1: Text, Literature. The Excavations in Hedeby. 15/1]. [ARENTS & EISENSCHMIDT 2010A] ^ *
Council of Europe (2003) World of the Vikings. CD-ROM. Alive Learning Ltd. [WOV 2003] *
Graham-Campbell, James (ed.) (1980) Viking Artefacts, A Select Catalogue. British Museum Publications [GRAHAM-CAMPBELL 1980] *
Grieg, Sigurd (1928) Osebergfundet Vol II. [GRIEG 1928] *
Petersen, Jan (1951) Vikingetidens Redskaper. [PETERSEN 1951] ^ *
Roesdahl, Else, and Wilson, David M. (eds.) (1992) From Viking to Crusader, The Scandinavians and Europe 800-1200. Nordic Council of Ministers. [ROESDAHL & WILSON 1992] *

http://www.unimus.no/samsok/index.php