C04_08

Single-year radiocarbon dating applied to Viking Age towns and trade connections

Philippsen B^1,2,3, Feveile C⁴, Olsen J^2,3, Sindbæk S²

¹Museum Lolland-Falster, Nykøbing F, Denmark, ²Centre for Urban Network Evolutions, School of Culture and Society, Aarhus University, Højbjerg, Denmark, ³Aarhus AMS Centre, Department of Physics and Astronomy, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark, ⁴Museum of Southwest Jutland, Ribe, Denmark

Radiocarbon calibration curves have improved significantly after the discovery of solar particle events and the addition of annual data to calibration datasets. In this study, we apply IntCal20 with additional annual measurements to 140 radiocarbon dates from the Viking Age emporium Ribe in Denmark. We combine the radiocarbon dates with dendrochronological dates and the site's detailed stratigraphy, built up of clay floors and activity layers, in a Bayesian age model. We show that maritime trade began already around AD 750, as evidenced by artefacts imported from Norway. The expansion of trade, especially towards the Middle East, and other aspects of the beginning of the Viking Age occur in layers dated here to AD 790 ± 10. We also identify the clay floor that was in use when the AD 775 solar particle event took place.

Finally, we apply the same techniques to radiocarbon dates of other Viking Age sites from the literature. We explore the potential of re-calibrating and modelling legacy dates to improve the chronology of individual sites and their relations with other sites.