Researchers at Stockholm University have reconstructed the face of a woman buried at Västerhus chapel in the 12th century. A pilgrim mussel found in the grave suggests a journey to Spain.
A young woman known as Lady 56 was excavated in the 1950s from Västerhus chapel on Frösön. A pilgrim mussel in her grave is interpreted by researchers as evidence of a pilgrimage.
Anna Engman, an archaeologist at Jamtli, says the find indicates something special about this particular woman. DNA analyses of the skeletons from the churchyard provide new knowledge about medieval burial customs.
Only around 12 percent of the children at Västerhus were related to the person they were buried with, according to Engman. The skeletons have been preserved at Stockholm University since the excavation.
