New at 23&me-- Historical Ancestors

This is one of my "ancestors" according to the report:
The Viking Age.

Late Iron Age Pict VK201

Genetic Sex
Male
Time Period
404 CE to 596 CE
Burial Location
Buckquoy, Birsay, Orkney Islands, Scotland
United Kingdom

About Late Iron Age Pict VK201

The remains of Late Iron Age Pict VK201 were excavated from a site that spans the late Iron Age (Pictish) and Viking Age periods on the Orkney Islands, off the coast of present-day Scotland. The site was excavated in the early 1970s and is of particular interest to archaeologists, as it documents the transition from local Pictish settlements to early Viking occupation of the Orkney Islands.

Late Iron Age Pict VK201 was buried in a cist, or stone coffin-like box. Through analysis of his skeletal remains and DNA, researchers identified VK201 as an adult male. Radiocarbon dating of his remains reveals that he likely lived around 404–596 CE, indicating that he was likely a Pict, who lived long before the period of contact with Viking populations.

The Viking Age
The name Vikings refers to seafaring people originally from Scandinavia (present-day Denmark, Sweden, and Norway) who lived during the late 8th to late 11th centuries. Renowned for their sailing skills and distinctive longships, the Vikings’ presence in Scandinavia, the North Atlantic, and Baltic Sea areas was so profound that the period roughly between 800–1050 CE in these regions is commonly referred to as the Viking Age.

During this time, the Vikings raided, settled in, and traded with others from these and even more distant regions (including the Mediterranean, North Africa, the Middle East and even reaching North America). During their travels, the Vikings not only impacted the culture of many regions, but also left a genetic legacy.

https://media.geni.com/p14/3b/44/ae/ec/53444866201bfe39/high_status...

High Status Viking Woman VK544

Genetic Sex
Female
Time Period
800 CE to 900 CE
Burial Location
Finglas, County Dublin
Ireland
About High Status Viking Woman VK544
The grave of the High Status Viking Woman VK544 was discovered in 2004 in the Dublin suburb of Finglas during construction work. The village of Finglas is thought to have originated as an early medieval monastery, which housed a scriptorium (a room set apart for writing, where manuscripts would have been copied) during the 9th century CE. VK544’s grave was located just outside the grounds of the medieval church.

Archaeologists who excavated VK544’s skeletal remains identified her as a female–her genetic sex was later confirmed via DNA analysis–who died between the ages of 25 and 35. They believe that she was of high-status, as she was buried with a number of elaborate burial goods, including a casket decorated with bone plaques and an unusually long comb made from an antler, and other copper ornaments.

Most notably, she was wearing a pair of oval brooches on each shoulder. The brooches were gilded, inlaid with silver wire, and featured images of animals with glass eyes. This style of brooch dates to the mid-9th century and was likely manufactured in Scandinavia.

DNA analysis revealed that VK544 had approximately 80% Norwegian-like ancestry, supporting the hypothesis that she, or her ancestors, were recent immigrants to Ireland.

VK544’s burial is considered unusual by archaeologists based on the high status grave goods she was buried with and the grave’s location near a Christian churchyard. It is also one of relatively few burials of female Vikings in Ireland from this time period.

For now:
"Hey Cynthia,
You have 23 historical matches.
Your historical matches are people from hundreds or even thousands of years ago with whom you share DNA."