ASSIMILATION AND THE SALME SHIP MYSTERY Colleague Eleanor Barraclough. Barraclough highlights how the Norse assimilated into Eastern cultures, adopting Slavic names and gods within generations. The focus then turns to a major mystery: the Salme ship buria

ASSIMILATION AND THE SALME SHIP MYSTERY Colleague Eleanor Barraclough. Barraclough highlights how the Norse assimilated into Eastern cultures, adopting Slavic names and gods within generations. The focus then turns to a major mystery: the Salme ship burials in Estonia, discovered in 2013. These burials, dated to around 750 AD, predate the Lindisfarne raid and contain warriors buried with high honors, including gaming pieces and falcons, despite having died violently. Barraclough suggests this might have been a diplomatic mission gone wrong. A key artifact mentioned is a King piece from the board game hnefatafl found in a leader's mouth, adding to the mystery of who buried them. NUMBER 3