The largest ever DNA analysis of Viking remains has changed perception of who the Vikings actually were and how they contributed to Scottish heritage. Sequencing of over 400 Viking skeletons from archaeological sites across Europe and Greenland, including the Orkneys, has shown that Viking identity was not limited to people with Scandinavian genetic ancestry. For instance, the Celtic-speaking Picts who lived in eastern and northern Scotland ‘became’ Vikings, having Viking burials, without genetically mixing with Scandinavians. The study reveals new aspects of the cultural relationship between Vikings and Picts.
Added 15 November 2022