The serious diseases that caused unbearable pain to the Vikings

Beyond the violent deaths in battle that must have taken them to Valhalla, the Vikings suffered from a host of serious illnesses that caused them incessant pain. From oral and maxillofacial problems to nasal or ear infections, osteoarthritis and much more.

Archaeologists from the University of Gothenburg have examined up to 15 skulls from the population living in Varnhem, in the Swedish province of Västergötland, during the Viking Age using modern X-ray and CT scan techniques, which have revealed severe morbidity.

Between 20 and 60 years old

According to an article published in the British Dental Journal (BDJ Open) , the individuals studied, who died between 20 and 60 years of age, had pathological bone growths in the skull and jaw, which reveal infections and other conditions.

“There was a lot to observe. We found many signs of illness in these individuals. We don’t know exactly why. Although we can’t study the damage to the soft tissue because it’s no longer there, we can see the traces left behind in the skeletal structures,” says dentist Carolina Bertilsson.

Several individuals showed signs of having suffered from sinus or ear infections that left traces on the adjacent bone structures. Signs of osteoarthritis and various dental diseases were also found, which were already documented in another article published a year ago based on the analysis of a large number of teeth.

The Varnhem region in southwestern Sweden is known for its thousands of ancient graves and excavations of well-preserved skeletons. It was here that a small Viking community that had abandoned the worship of pagan gods built the country's oldest Christian church and a huge cemetery.

CT scans of the skulls of the 10th- to 12th-century skeletons found have provided three-dimensional images that have allowed researchers to study in detail the various types of bone damage, layer by layer, in different parts of the head.

“The results provide a greater understanding of the health and well-being of these people. We all know what it’s like to be in pain somewhere – you can be quite desperate to get help. But at that time they didn’t have the medical and dental care we have today, or the kind of pain relief (and antibiotics). If you developed an infection, you could have it for a long time,” says Bertilsson.

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Computed tomography (CT) images also helped to avoid invasive methods that require the removal of bones or other tissues for analysis. “In this way, we can preserve the remains completely intact and still extract a large amount of information,” concludes the director of the study.

The analysis confirmed the presence of caries, sinusitis, otitis and various infections such as periodontal diseases (which damage the soft tissue of the gums), periapical destructions and remodelling of the head of the mandible, but also sclerotisation of the mastoid process and periosteal bone deposition induced by infection.