Geophysical survey reveals possible evidence of Medieval Norse parliament place

Non-invasive archaeological research with use of geophysical measurements has possibly revealed that a Medieval Norse parliament might have met at the Iron Age Thing’s Va Broch near Thurso, North Scotland.

View of Thing’s Va Broch (by Caithness Broch Project)

The geophysical survey by archaeologists from Orkney Research Centre for Archaeology, the University of the Highlands and Islands Archaeology Institute, Caithness Broch Project and local community volunteers has found features that may relate to activity associated with the meetings. Thing’s Va is thought to have been used as a meeting place in Norse times, with the word “thing” coming from the Norse word “ting“, meaning parliament. Thing sites have been found elsewhere in Scotland, including at Dingwall, which was a Viking power base in that part of the Highlands. The stone-built roundhouses were some of Scotland’s oldest and most formidable structures and can be found in the Highlands and Orkney. Excavations are scheduled as next step of research at the site.

Geophys results of the survey of Thing’s Va Broch (by Caithness Broch Project)

(after Caithness Broch Project & BBC News)

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