3 ms·
Something strange I find is researchers finding it as new evidence in a new encounter. In Islamic history this is a well known[1] connection. http://en.wikipe
by moey 12y ago
Something strange I find is researchers finding it as new evidence in a new encounter.
In Islamic history this is a well known[1] connection.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ahmad_ibn_Fadlan http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ahmad_ibn_Fadlan
- VonGuard 12y agoDamn, just as I was writing my comment. Clearly, this is the guy Crichton based http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eaters_of_the_Dead http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eaters_of_the_Dead on.
- pdabbadabba 12y agoThis ring is an amazing discovery, but you're right that contact between the Viking and Islamic cultures was already well known. The Icelandic sagas, for example, document the prestige won by Norse warriors who traveled to Constantinople and served in the Varangian Guard. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Varangian_Guard http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Varangian_Guard In fact, if you travel to Istanbul today, you can see Norse runes carved into the stones of the Hagia Sophia. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Runic_inscriptions_in_Hagia_Sophia http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Runic_inscriptions_in_Hagia_Sop...
- olavk 12y agoConstantinople was Christian at the time though. It was the capital of the roman empire, and remained Christian until til fifteenth century. But they did fight Arabs, so there was contact that way.
- olavk 12y agoTo be fair, the article does mention textual evidence of contact. It just say the ring is a rare archaeological evidence, which is correct.
- huxley 12y agoHardly, there is considerable evidence. From "Silver Economy In The Viking Age" edited by James Graham-Campbell, Gareth Williams: "It is also relevant to note that, both in Denmark itself, and more widely in Scandinavia, coin finds from the ninth and tenth centuries are dominated by Islamic dirhams and their Khazar, Bulghar and possibly Russian imitations, rather than by native Danish coins or their Frankish models (Hovén 1981; Kromann 1990; Jensen and Kromann 1998; Talvio 1998)."
- olavk 12y agoYeah, but the article points out what is unique about the ring: The lack of wear indicates that it had few or no intermediate owners. This indicates direct contact. The Islamic coins on the other hand, most likely went through multiple owners along the way, which is typically how artifacts travel.
- the_rosentotter 12y agoWhat an interesting wikipedia article. The scholars of the Islamic period are so under appreciated.
- vacri 12y agoThey don't think it's a new encounter. FTFA: "Ancient texts mention encounters around 1,000 years ago between Scandinavians and members of the Islamic civilization, which stretched from West Asia to Mediterranean lands. Archaeological evidence supporting those accounts, though, is rare. "