Birka Viking BJ581 -An Elite Woman Warrior

By Aleesha Clevenger and Jon Boyd

April 30, 2022

Pima Community College 13^th Annual Undergraduate Symposium

Research Questions

• What is the relation between the arrows discovered with BJ 581 and her ability to use the arrows in battle?

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• Is the feet per second (FPS) of the arrow with a 45-pound bow and 26 in draw weight enough to damage 4-in-1 European chainmail?

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Image: Peter Johnsson

History of BJ 581

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• Located in Birka cemeteries on the island of Björkö in Sweden
• Buried within the 10th century around 900-950AD
• Excavated in 1878 by Hjalmar Stolpe;
• Assumed to be a “high-status male warrior grave” (Hedenstierna-Jonson 2017:857)
• Of 1,110 investigated graves, Only BJ 581 and BJ 644 had a complete weapon set (Ringstedt 1997)
• The set included a sword, axe, two lances, and 25 armor piercing arrows, and horses, but no bow is associated with this site
• It was not until 2017 that BJ 581 was confirmed a female Viking warrior by genomics’ (Price et al. 2019)

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Image: Christer Åhlin, Swedish History Museum/Antiquity Publications Ltd

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Image: Peter Johnsson, excerpt from Wåhlander 2020-Begravd på Birka�Tre århundraden, fyra vikingaliv

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Osteology

• 170 cm (5’7”) in height
• No signs of antemortem or perimortem trauma (Hedenstierna-Jonson 2017:858)
• Measurements were giving from Jonny Karlsson of the tibia, two radii, humerus
• Using Bass’ stature formula and working backwards from a 5’7” stature, the measurements for clavicle, and sternum, and 1^st metacarpal of the thumb length were estimated (Telles and Boyd 2021)
• This gave a draw length of 69cm (27in)

Image: Christer Åhlin, Swedish History Museum/Antiquity Publications Ltd

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Methods and Materials

• iPhone 6s: To record in slow motion
• GoPro Hero 3 Black: To record in full speed
• Caldwell Chronograph: To record arrow speeds

Image: Jon Boyd, Pima Community College�

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Image: Jon Boyd, Pima Community College

Image: Jon Boyd, Pima Community College

Data

Arrow Ballistics

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*Both units represent an arrow weighing 1000 grains

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Hyper extension of the humeroulnar joint

Discussion

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• At a 26-inch draw, the highest results was 85 FPS
• At a 27-inch draw, we were able to obtain results as high as 106.7 FPS
• The rate in which the arrow drops gains speeds after ~40m
• This is because heavier objects have a greater gravitational downward force, and contain more kinetic energy and momentum
• Meaning, that the 1970 grain weight of the arrow will have a higher impact and better penetration than a lighter arrow
• How does this affect chainmail?

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Image: Matthew Marino 2006

Conclusion

• A surviving bow uncovered at the Viking settlement of Hedeby 'has an estimated draw weight of 45kg' or 99lbs. (Raffield 2009:31)
• At 45 lbs of draw weight, our arrow gave a max force of 67.455 newtons.
• This would far exceed the amount of force needed to damage European 4-in-1 chain mail

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Image: Warner 2015

Acknowledgement

• Lt. Joseph Hemphill and Pima Community College Campus Police members
• Pima Archaeology Centre
• Dianna Repp
• The Swedish History Musuem

References

• Hedenstierna-Jonson, Charlotte, Anna Kjellström, Torun Zachrisson, et al. 2017 A Female Viking Warrior Confirmed by Genomics. American Journal of Physical Anthropology 164(4): 853–860.
• Price, Neil, Charlotte Hedenstierna-Jonson, Torun Zachrisson, et al. 2019 Viking Warrior Women? Reassessing Birka Chamber Grave BJ.581. Antiquity 93(367): 181–198.
• Raffield, Benjamin 2009 Plundering the Territories in the Manner of the Heathens: Identifying Viking Age Battlefields in Britain. Rosetta(7): 22–43.
• Telles, Diana, Jon Boyd 2021 Independent Research Paper
• Warner, Antonia 2015 Relative Tensile Strengths of Chainmail Weaves. Thesis, Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
• Wåhlander, Linda 2020 Begravd På Birka: Tre Århundraden, Fyra Vikingaliv. Birka Vikingastaden.

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