Editing Ingvar (section)

==Archaeology==
In 2008–2010, the [[ship burial]] of two ships were discovered in [[Salme, Estonia|Salme]], [[Estonia]], the [[Salme ships]]. Remains from at least 42 individuals were discovered in the two ships.<ref>Marek Strandberg. [http://arvamus.postimees.ee/1171034/arheoloog-eesti-ala-elanikud-surid-536-aasta-paiku-massiliselt-nalga "Arheoloog: Eesti ala elanikud surid 536. aasta paiku massiliselt nälga"]. ''[[Postimees]]'' 17. märts 2013. {{in lang|et}}</ref> Most of them belonged to 30–40 years old males who had been killed in [[battle]].<ref name="ekspress.ee">[http://www.ekspress.ee/news/paevauudised/ajalugu/skandinaavlased-said-saaremaal-suures-lahingus-tappa.d?id=32908835 Scandinavians were defeated in a battle in Saaremaa] {{in lang|et}}</ref><ref>[http://www.saartehaal.ee/index.php?content=artiklid&sub=41&artid=26711&sec=1 Salme muinaslaevast leiti haruldane luukamm (fotod).] Saarte Hääl, 26 Jul 2011.{{in lang|et}}</ref> [[Isotope analysis]] of some of the teeth, combined with the design of the buried artifacts, suggest that the men came from central [[Sweden]].<ref name="usatoday.com">[https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/2016/07/27/ancient-ships-death-were-they-mission-politics-plunder/87586278/ ''Ancient ships of death: Were they on a mission of politics or plunder?''] USA Today. 27 July 2016. Retrieved 27 July 2016.</ref> The smaller ship contained the skeletal remains of 7 individuals. There were at least 36 individuals buried in four layers in the large ship.<ref name="Arheoloogia-aasta parimad palad">[http://www.postimees.ee/600144/arheoloogia-aasta-parimad-palad/ Arheoloogia-aasta parimad palad.] ''[[Postimees]]'', 17 Oct 2011. {{in lang|et}}</ref> In samples from the 7th century Salme defined Y-chromosome haplogroup [[Haplogroup R1a|R1a1a1b]], [[Haplogroup N-M231|N1a1a1a1a1a1a]], [[Haplogroup I-M253|I1-M253]] and mtDNA haplogroup T2b5a, V, J2a1a1a2, H10e, K1c1h, W6a, U3b1b.<ref name="Margaryan2019">''Ashot Margaryan'' et al. [https://www.nature.com/articles/s41586-020-2688-8 Population genomics of the Viking world], 2020 ([https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/703405v1 bioRxiv])</ref> The DNA analysis showed that four of the men were brothers and they were related to a fifth man, perhaps an uncle.<ref>[https://www.nytimes.com/2020/09/16/science/vikings-DNA.html?surface=most-popular&fellback=false&req_id=981298180&algo=bandit-all-surfaces&imp_id=876962199&action=click&module=Most%20Popular&pgtype=Homepage The Vikings Were More Complicated Than You Might Think], Sept. 16, 2020</ref>

The ships were [[Clinker (boat building)|clinker-built]] and archaeologists have estimated their time of construction to be AD 650–700 in [[Scandinavia]]. There are signs indicating they had been repaired and patched for decades before making their final voyage. One of the ships is {{convert|11.5|m|ft}} long and {{convert|2|m|ft|0}} wide. It did not have mast or sails, and they would have been rowed for short distances along the Baltic coast, or between islands,<ref name="Archaeology: The First Vikings">Archaeology: ''The First Vikings''</ref> or straight across the Baltic, as rowing longer distances has proved perfectly feasible time and again in modern times. This is also indicated by the Old Norse word for distance across water "vikusjö, vikja" the distance to row before changing rowers, a distance of about {{convert|4.2|nmi}}.

The second ship was {{convert|17-17.5|m|ft}} long and {{convert|3|m|ft|0}} wide. This larger ship had a keel for sailing<ref name="ReferenceA">{{Cite journal|last1=Price|first1=T. Douglas|last2=Peets|first2=Jüri|last3=Allmäe|first3=Raili|last4=Maldre|first4=Liina|last5=Oras|first5=Ester|date=August 2016|title=Isotopic provenancing of the Salme ship burials in Pre-Viking Age Estonia|journal=Antiquity|language=en|volume=90|issue=352|pages=1022–1037|doi=10.15184/aqy.2016.106|s2cid=55103783 |issn=0003-598X|doi-access=free}}</ref> which would arguable make it the oldest viking sailing ship found so far, possibly redefining the beginning of the viking age (for comparison see [[Oseberg Ship]], [[Gokstad ship]] and [[Gjellestad ship burial]]).

According to a confirmed interpretation offered by Jüri Peets, the lead archaeologist at the site, the ships and the dead are of [[Scandinavia]]n origin, from Mälar region in Sweden, where similarly decorated sword hilts have been found; osteological analysis also indicates Mälar region and several men have been found to relatives.<ref name="ReferenceA"/>

According to one scenario, a war party of [[Scandinavia]]ns attempted to carry out a raid against the [[Oeselians]] ([[Estonians|Estonian]] inhabitants of the island of Saaremaa), but were attacked by Oeselian ships. The sides of the two ships contain numerous embedded arrowheads, some of which are of the three-pointed type used to carry burning materials to set enemy ships aflame. After losing too many [[oarsman|oarsmen]] to the Estonian [[archery|archers]], the raiders pulled their ships aground and tried to defend themselves behind them. It appears that after the battle, the Oeselians allowed either the survivors or some other group of Scandinavians to ritually bury their dead. The burial is unusual because the ships were not covered with earth mounds. The site was eventually forgotten by the local inhabitants after it had become overblown by sand and covered with vegetation.<ref name="ekspress.ee"/> The raid-hypothesis has led to a questioning of when the [[Viking Age]] began exactly. The Salme event took place 50–100 years earlier than the infamous [[Lindisfarne#Vikings|Lindisfarne]] Viking raid in England in the summer of AD 793.<ref name="Archaeology: The First Vikings"/>

The original interpretation was called into question after the second, larger, ship was uncovered in 2010. It is likely that the human remains in it belonged to individuals of noble birth, as evidenced by the large number of expensive bronze sword-hilts and the complete lack of weaponry associated with commoners. The presence of dogs and hawks used for falconry indicates that the original purpose of the trip to Estonia may have been [[leisure]] or [[diplomacy]].<ref name="Arheoloogia-aasta parimad palad"/> Peets suggests that the men may have come on a voyage from Sweden to forge an alliance or establish kinship ties when unknown parties set upon them.<ref name="usatoday.com"/>