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Graffiti made by Vikings more than 1,000 years ago found!
Archaeologists have found the oldest drawing ever encountered in Iceland. It dates back to around 800 AD. It was scratched out by Vikings in a small piece of clay.
The flat shard of red clay is the size of a small coin. Like the coin, it was flattened on both sides. The smooth surface shows lines gouged with a thin tool. At first glance, they may seem random. However, a closer look reveals a familiar shape. The lines resemble the drawing of a boat.
This representation is the oldest sketch so far found in Iceland. “Viking graffiti” — as it has been christened — was found during excavations carried out at the long house — a famous Viking dwelling, which could be as long as several tens of meters. The remains of the long house from the 9th century AD were discovered by archaeologist Bjarni F. Einarsson in eastern Iceland.
Viking ships in bone and wood
Einarsson’s discovery, a piece of clay on which the drawing was scratched, is only 2.5 centimeters long. The sketch of the boat is not finished. The hull was sketched only partially.
“It was very common not to finish drawing the hull,” says the researcher quoted by the Live Science portal.
