‘The feather cloak whistled’ : Bird Fibulae, Falconry and Powerful Women in Seventh Century Scandinavia
The bird fibulae were used for a relatively short period in the seventh century in the southern Scandinavian Late Iron Age, the Vendel Period. A close visual and contextual analysis of the bird fibulae propose that their form and decoration indicate a falconry association. Their outline and ornamentation are suggestive of raptors and the tethering of these birds in falconry practice. Their archaeo