When were the Salme wooden ships discovered in Estonia?
Archaeologists uncovered two wooden ships near the village of Salme on Saaremaa in 2008. These vessels date to the period between AD 700 and 750 during the Nordic Iron Age.
Questions about Viking Age in Estonia
Short answers, pulled from the story.
Which areas of Estonia belonged to the Scandinavian cultural sphere during the Viking Age?
Northern and Western Estonia including Ösel formed part of the Scandinavian cultural sphere covering approximately two-thirds of modern-day Estonia. This zone included four distinct provinces known by separate names in Scandinavian sources: Saaremaa, Läänemaa, Harjumaa, and Virumaa.
What happened to King Ingvar Harra according to Snorri Sturluson's Ynglinga saga?
King Ingvar Harra fought pirates from Estonia in the seventh century and fell in a battle against men of Estland who came down with a great army. The account describes his death as occurring during this conflict with Estonian forces.
How many warriors were found inside the Salme ship burials?
Excavations revealed the remains of more than forty warriors killed in battle inside these boats. The site contained numerous weapons and other artifacts that pointed to a violent end for those who sailed into the Baltic Sea.
When did the population of Ancient Estonia reach its estimated peak before the eleventh century?
The population of Ancient Estonia reached an estimated 150,000 people in the late Iron Age circa 1100 AD. This figure represents a five-fold increase from approximately thirty thousand inhabitants during the Roman Iron Age around 400 AD.