Viking Beads, Birka 5

Three Viking glass beads based on finds from Birka in Sweden. They have been traditionally made through winding layers of molten glass around a metal rod. Glass beads were widely used by both men and women on necklaces. Women also wore them hanging between tortoise brooches.

Vikings would go to any lengths to get hold of colored beads, which is evident in the huge amount found during excavations. They are the single most common items found in pre-Christian Viking graves.