Viking Games Pieces & Boards
Viking Games Pieces Finds
– Looking for the Evidence By Jennifer Baker ( Jenny Baker )
Research Disclaimer : Please note that This Research was done many years ago now :
so the information contained may now be out of date , photos gone missing or web links broken
My apologises : But It has become an impossible task to try and keep it up to date - Jenny
Games Boards
Location / Date, structure / No. / Inv no. / Ref
Norway, Gokstad Ship Burial
late 9th century
13 x13 squares
gaming board measuring 69 cm on one side including edges
two sided - one side Hnefatafl and the other side nine man's moris
Ballinderry, Ireland,
late 9th century
25x24 cm and has 7x7 peg holes.
Sweden, Uppland, Årby
Viking Period
? squares
looks to be nine man's morris
Grave 21062
Sweden, Birka
? squares
measured c 35–40 and 50 cm a side respectively.
Birka chamber grave 624
Sweden, Birka
? squares
measured c 35–40 and 50 cm a side respectively.
Birka chamber grave 886
Sweden, Valsgärde
? squares
Valsgärde 8 boat grave
Trondheim, Norway
early twelfth century
11x11 squares board
Hnefatafl Found in the Norwegian town of Trondheim, this 'Hnefatafl' board with 11 x 11 squares is displayed at the Medieval Museum at the University of Trondheim (NTNU)
Faroes Islands at Toftanes
dated to the tenth century)
a 13x13 squares board
Wimose, Fyn, Denmark
dated to the Roman Age AD400
18 x 18 squares board
Coppergate in York, England
10th century
15x15? squares or 19x19?squares Length 481mm, width 109mm, thickness 23mm
Find number 6609, 1976.7, catalogue number 9032.
Buckquoy, Orkney
Viking Period
3 Stone game boards
Brough of Birsay, Orkney
Viking Period
whalebone gaming board
000-000-136-630-C National Museums Scotland
Jarlshof, Shetland
Viking Period
slate gaming board and four quartz pebble playing pieces, part of a set of 16,
000-100-042-678-C National Museums Scotland
Novgorod, Russia
late 13th-14th century
two sided gaming board made of spruce.
Nine Man's Morriss board, on one side and the back of the board, another game board
Board Games Pieces
Location / Date, structure / No. / Inv no. / Ref
Inv no refers to museum fi nds ID number;
SHM = Statens Historiska Museum, Stockholm; NO = Norway; SE = Sweden
Norway, Vestfold, Tjølling parish, Østby
10th-century, no documentation
12 Amber
Oslo 11772
Petersen 1914, fig 18
Norway, southern part of Vestfold
No documentation
1 Amber
Oslo 23457
Norway, Hedmark, Furnes parish, Alu
Grave mound, no documentation
2 Amber
Oslo 24743 Dr Augestad’s collection
Norway, Østfold, Trøgstad parish, Grevegg
2 Amber
Oslo 35251
Norway, Sogn og Fjordane, Gloppen parish, Hauge
9th-century boat grave
1 Amber
Bergen 5150
Norway, Rogaland, Torvastad parish, Gunnarshaug
10th-century ship grave
18 Amber
Bergen 4438
Sweden, Uppland, Adelsö parish, Björkö, gr. 524
10th-century chamber grave
15 Amber
SHM Bj 524
Sweden, Småland, Ljungby parish, Harby nr 5, poor-house
No documentation
c 13 Amber
Kalmar County Museum 904:1-2
Sweden, Östergötland, Kuddby parish, Skamby, monument 15, 2005
9th-century boat grave
23 Amber The pieces' median dimensions are about 35 by 24 mm
Pending allocation
Sweden, Uppland, Adelsö parish, Birka, grave 523
VIKING-PERIOD
20 glass
SHM Bj 523
Sweden, Uppland, Adelsö parish, Birka, grave 581
VIKING-PERIOD
28 antler
SHM Bj 581
Sweden, Uppland, Adelsö parish, Birka, grave 644
VIKING-PERIOD
22 glass
SHM Bj 644
Sweden, Uppland, Adelsö parish, Birka, grave 750
VIKING-PERIOD
26 glass
SHM Bj 750
Sweden, Uppland, Adelsö parish, Birka, grave 886
VIKING-PERIOD
25 bone
SHM Bj 886
Sweden, Uppland, Adelsö parish, Birka, grave 986
VIKING-PERIOD
17 antler
SHM Bj 986
Sweden, Uppland, Långtora parish, Långtora
VIKING-PERIOD
26 ( 21 glass, 4 bone, 1 soapstone )
SHM 20348
Sweden, Uppland, Björkö, Adelsö parish ,
VIKING-PERIOD
6 Gaming pieces. Teeth (from moose).
SHM 5208:1712
Sweden, Uppland, Björkö, Adelsö parish ,
VIKING-PERIOD
Gaming pieces. Bone/antler. Grave find,
SHM 34000:Bj 20
Sweden. Uppland, Björkö, Adelsö parish , Grave 624
VIKING-PERIOD
27 Gaming pieces. Bone/antler, bronze, gilded. Grave find,
SHM 34000:Bj 624
Sweden, Uppland, Björkö, Adelsö, Grave 463
vendel period
4 gaming pieces bone / horn
SHM 420341 :BJ 463
Sweden, Uppland, Uppsala , grave 2194
vendel period
37 gaming pieces bone / horn and 3 dice
SHM 108 624: 2194
Sweden, Uppland, Vendel, grave 7250
vendel period
20 gaming pieces bone
SHM 106788: 7250
Sweden, Uppland, Adelsö
VIKING-PERIOD
3 gaming pieces bone / horn
SHM 106916: 16171
Brough of Birsay, Orkney
VIKING-PERIOD
antler playing piece
000-100-040-604-C National Museums Scotland
Scotland, Balnakeil, Durness, Sutherland
VIKING-PERIOD
fourteen bone playing pieces were found in a Viking boy's burial at Balnakeil
000-000-099-778-C National Museums Scotland
Jarlshof, Shetland
VIKING-PERIOD
small stone playing piece was found at the Viking settlement site of Jarlshof in Shetland
000-100-042-675-C National Museums Scotland
Ness Broch, Caithness and the Brough of Birsay, Orkney
VIKING-PERIOD
whalebone playing piece
000-100-037-967-C National Museums Scotland
Sweden, Valsgärde
Glass
Hedeby, Germany
VIKING-PERIOD
Bone
Hedeby, Germany
VIKING-PERIOD
Amber
Norway
Glass
Ile de Groix, France
Walrus Tusk
Westness, Rousay, Orkney
Set of 25 gaming pieces found in grave at Westness, Rousay, Orkney
England
Jet games piece
Dice
Location / Date, structure / No. / Inv no. / Ref
Inv no refers to museum fi nds ID number;
SHM = Statens Historiska Museum, Stockholm; NO = Norway; SE = Sweden
Sweden. Uppland, Björkö, Adelsö,
Dice. Bone/antler.
SHM 5208:1709
See also kulturarvsdata.se/shm/object/htm l/270230
Coppergate in York, England
10th century
http://www.jorvik-viking-centre.co.uk/gallery/personal-items/
1st Published : 12 Mar 2012 Page Updated: 12 Sept 2020 © Looking for the Evidence : Jennifer Baker ( Jenny Baker )