Very cool.
“Analysis of the glass used by the bead makers shows that the glass originated in Palestine and Egypt. However, it was already several centuries old when it arrived in Ribe and so it must have been taken from old Roman mosaics, probably in Roman cities such as Cologne or Trier.
“We also found a roman carnelian gemstone decorated with the picture of Venus, which had been forcibly removed from the gold ring it must have decorated.
“Apparently, the gemstone was of no interest in Ribe. But the gold was. The raw material of the first goldsmiths in Ribe was very likely comprised of objects like these looted from Roman graves.”
Read more at: https://phys.org/news/2018-09-thousands-scandinavia-viking-city.html#jCp
This period, a couple of centuries after the fall of the western Roman empire, presents an interesting situation for those living in it. They lived in a world of small, wooden structures. Yet all around are still examples standing of magnificent architectural and artistic achievements by the Romans, achievements they cannot hope to duplicate. Massive aqueducts, domed temples, impossibly straight roads stretching to the horizon, intricate mosaics and paintings in vibrant colors. So many things. What must they thought of the people who had created them? That they were they a race of gods? I don’t think they thought that but it must have seemed as if they were magical somehow. On the one hand, it must have been awe inspiring to walk into a place like London and see still intact Roman walls and villas, yet at the same time must have been a bit of a bummer to know that they were crumbling and your civilization lacked to skills to even maintain what your ancestors built.
Someone paid the Iron Price.