In 1872-1895, not far from Stockholm, archaeological excavations were carried out at the Viking-era trade center - the Birka location. In an ancient burial site dating back to the 9th century AD, scientists discovered a silver ring with a pink-purple semi-precious stone. Modern analysis of the find showed that the stone was engraved with an inscription in Arabic "For Allah" (it can also be interpreted as "Allah").
The artifact was recovered from a rectangular wooden coffin, along with the remains of clothing, brooches and other jewelry. And although the skeleton itself was almost completely destroyed by time, scientists were able to establish from jewelry and attire that it belonged to a woman who died around 850 AD.
The ring was included in the catalog of the Swedish Historical Museum in Stockholm and designated as a product made of gilded silver alloy with amethyst, on which the Kufic inscription "Allah" is applied.
The object attracted the attention of an international team of researchers led by biophysicist Sebastian Wärmländer from Stockholm University.
“This is the only ring with Arabic script found in Scandinavia. Previously, we found rings made in the Arabian style, but there were no inscriptions on them,”says Värmlander.
Using a scanning electron microscope, the researchers conducted a thorough analysis. He showed that the description of the ring from the museum catalog is not entirely correct. The ring is made of high quality silver alloy, the silver content is 94.5%. The stone is a piece of soda lime glass with an Arabic inscription mentioning the name of Allah in some case.
The ring belonged to the Vikings and is the only evidence of their direct interaction with representatives of the Arab culture (illustration Wikimedia Commons).
Although the stone is not amethyst, that does not mean the ring was low-grade. Colored glass was a very exotic material in Scandinavia, scientists say. As for the inscription itself, it can be interpreted in different ways. It can be read as "Il-la-lah" ("For Allah / Allah"), or as "Inshallah (x)" ("Allah's will for everything").
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“Most likely, we will never know the exact meaning of this inscription, as well as why and where it was made. But for our research, the data obtained is quite enough. The fact that the Scandinavian ring has an Islamic inscription is already unusual,”says Värmlander.
It is noteworthy that the ring, unlike its owner and other items, is very well preserved. It still shows the risks of a file, which means that it was not worn for long and did not change many owners.
Scientists suggest that the jewelry was made by an Arab jeweler and sold, possibly to the sole owner. The authors of the study do not deny the likelihood that a woman buried in a Scandinavian grave could have practiced Islam herself.
“It is also possible that the ring fell into the hands of a Viking who, through trade or robbery, received it while visiting the Islamic Caliphate,” says Värmländer, whose article was published in Scanning magazine.
In any case, this artifact is proof of the direct interaction between the Vikings and the Islamic world, which were previously mentioned only in legends. Now the ancient legends can be considered at least partially true.
Asya Gorina