The body of a woman believed to have been buried in a pagan ritual over 1,100 years ago has been discovered near a medieval church in north Dublin.
The National Museum of Ireland said today the body was found with a bronze oval brooch, a bone comb and other copper alloy ornaments in an undisclosed location.
The brooch, which is Scandanavian in origin, is described as very significant find because so few similar items have ever been found in Ireland. It is the first discovery of an oval brooch here for a hundred years.
The artifacts have been dated to the late 9th century AD, which is around the time the first Vikings settled in Dublin. The first recorded Viking activity in Ireland is in 795 AD.
The woman was buried according to pagan rites commonly associated with the Scandanavian invaders.
The body and the other items are being held at the National Museum's Conservation Laboratory at Collins Barracks, Dublin.