14 October 2025 The Future is the Product of the Past

Shetland Discoveries Seem Close to Uncovering Ancient Viking Capital

Important discoveries were made on the last day of excavations to find the ancient Viking capital of Shetland, through the efforts of Kristian Leith.

Archaeological finds seem to approach close to uncovering the ancient Viking capital of Shetland.

Last year, 26 human bones, several structures presumed to be from the Pictish era, and a variety of ancient items such as a comb and painted stones were discovered in Kristian Leith’s garden at Upper Scalloway after he started digging for a shed.

It was action has been taken by the finding of structures and human remains in the region during the construction of dwellings in 1990. In order to determine whether there was more to be discovered in the region, Leith brought Orkney archaeological firm ORCA to conduct geophysical studies in the neighboring property between the Mill Brae road and his Upper Scalloway residence.

With traditional funding options limited, Leith launched a crowdfunding campaign with a £19,425 goal to pay for ORCA to do excavation on the piece of land. More than 319 people have donated, increasing the total to moreover £19,700.



📣 Our WhatsApp channel is now LIVE! Stay up-to-date with the latest news and updates, just click here to follow us on WhatsApp and never miss a thing!!



Red sandstone whetstone.
Red sandstone whetstone.

While the formal study from ORCA has yet to be released, Mr. Leith claims the discovery proves the settlement is at least 4,000 square meters in size – significantly larger than previously imagined.

Mr. Leigh said the structure found was of “great importance” as it was not disturbed by later medieval tombs or modern dwellings, according to the Shetland Times.

And as the excavations only clipped a small section of the structure, Mr. Leith said there was an awful lot more left undisturbed to investigate further.

He pointed to the discovery of two red sandstone whetstones, which he said were similar to discoveries found during an excavation in 1990, and which indicate that they date back to 750-1000AD, the Viking period.

“Slowly but surely the story here is unveiling itself and we are getting closer to proving this is indeed the Skailvoigh settlement – the Viking capital of Shetland,” Mr. Leith said. 

The fundraiser is still open.

Related Articles

Archaeologists discovered 7,000-years-old Neolithic Settlement in the Czech Republic

31 July 2024

31 July 2024

Archaeologists have discovered a Neolithic settlement of about 7,000 years old near Kutná Hora, east of Prague in the Czech...

As Thin as Modern Tools: World’s Oldest Steel Acupuncture Needles Discovered in China

6 July 2025

6 July 2025

In a discovery that reshapes the history of traditional Chinese medicine, archaeologists have unearthed what experts now confirm to be...

7,000-Year-Old Temple at Risk: Urgent Calls to Save Santa Verna Archaeological Site in Gozo

17 July 2025

17 July 2025

Archaeologists and heritage conservationists are sounding the alarm over continued development near the Santa Verna archaeological site, a prehistoric temple...

New Discovery Challenges Origins of Iconic Sutton Hoo Helmet: It Could Radically Alter Our Understanding of 7th Century Northern European Power Dynamics

28 March 2025

28 March 2025

A recent find on the Danish island of Tåsinge has sparked a significant reevaluation of the origins of the renowned...

Archaeologists Uncover Elegant Rare Blue Frescoes of an Ancient Sanctuary in Pompeii

10 June 2024

10 June 2024

Archaeologists digging away at ash covering the ancient city of Pompeii have uncovered a room with walls frescoed in an...

Study Reveals Córdoba’s Advanced Sanitation System: A Medieval Model Unmatched in Europe for Centuries

25 April 2025

25 April 2025

Recent research has unveiled the impressive sanitation systems of medieval Córdoba, revealing that the city’s infrastructure was so advanced that...

7,000-Year-Old Animal-Figured Seals Found in Arslantepe, Anatolia’s First City-State

27 August 2024

27 August 2024

Archaeologists working at the Arslantepe Mound (Turkish: Arslantepe Höyük), a UNESCO World Heritage Site in Türkiye’s eastern Malatya province and...

An intact Punic Tomb was Discovered in Malta

29 May 2021

29 May 2021

İntact a tomb dating to the Punic period was found in Tarxien. The Superintendence of Cultural Heritage has announced the...

New evidence for early regional exchanges in Eurasia: Ice skates made of animal bones over 3,000 years old

9 March 2023

9 March 2023

Chinese archaeologists have discovered ancient ice skates made of animal bones at the Gaotai Ruins in the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous...

Rare medieval bone flute unearthed in Kent, southeastern coast of England

22 November 2022

22 November 2022

Archaeologists from Cotswold Archaeology have unearthed a rare medieval bone flute during excavations in Herne Bay, located in Kent, southeastern...

The Mountain of Shemharus, King of the Ginn: Toubkal

14 August 2022

14 August 2022

Towering over the Atlas Mountains, Mount Toubkal is the highest peak in Morocco. Toubkal, the highest mountain in all of...

6th-Century BC Houses and Earthquake Evidence Discovered in Davti Blur, an Urartian Fortress City in Armenia

28 January 2025

28 January 2025

An Armenian-Polish archaeological team has uncovered remnants of 6th-century BC houses, a cremation cemetery, and signs of a significant earthquake...

The remains of two new Doric temples are discovered under the Italian site of Paestum

15 January 2024

15 January 2024

Archaeologists have unearthed two new temples in the Doric style in Paestum, an ancient Greek colony in southern Italy. The...

More than 56400 Cultural Goods Seized in Operation Pandora V

11 May 2021

11 May 2021

Operation Pandora V, aimed at preventing the illegal trade of cultural goods, has been one of the most successful operations...

Ancient Christian Settlement Discovered in Egypt

14 March 2021

14 March 2021

The Egyptian Ministry of Antiquities said on Saturday that a French-Norwegian archaeological team had discovered a new ancient Christian settlement...