Man with metal detector stumbles on perplexing Viking Age grave

Archaeologists in Norway have excavated a Viking Age grave of an individual bedecked in costume and jewelry, as reported by Norwegian SciTech News, an outlet that publishes research news from the Norwegian University of Science and Technology and the Scandinavian research group SINTEF.
The grave includes skeletal remains, two oval brooches (including the one Søreng found) that attach to a suspender dress’s straps, and a ring buckle used to close a petticoat’s neck opening. The most notable feature, however, is two scallop shells that partly covered the deceased’s mouth. While scallop shells were a Christian symbol related to the cult of St. James during the Middle Ages, they are exceedingly rare in pre-Christian graves.