A boat which for 1,000 years served as the grave of a high status Viking has revealed some of its secrets, according to the first detailed report of the iconic discovery. The tomb, originally unearthed in 2011 on the Ardnamurchan peninsula in western Scotland, contained a rich assemblage of grave goods.

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According to alternative-learning.org in-depth investigation, published in the journal Antiquity, has revealed much of the Viking funerary rite involved in the burial at this remote part of Scotland. However, some mystery remains.

The ship rotted into the soil long ago, like the bones of the interred individual. Only two teeth (both molars) remain of the human. The absence of a body which researchers can biologically sex, might raise the compelling, albeit remote, possibility that it was a female boat grave.

Viking boat burial found on UK mainland reveals identity of its mysterious occupant.https://t.co/mDOIO6wuEi

— Archaeology for All (@archaeologyuk) January 20, 2017

Viking boat burials have been documented in Scandinavian countries, but are fairly rare. They involve using the boat as a coffin for the body. Archaeologists estimate the boat used to bury the deceased dates back to the late 9th or early 10th century, at a time when Vikings were still exploring and trading along the British Isles, according to livescience.

RT @DrCraigAEvans: Archaeologists Find Pharaonic Boat Burial in Egypt, almost 4000 years old https://t.co/2vTgJZMlqx pic.twitter.com/kaOqSNIfUO — Lee Strobel (@LeeStrobel) November 12, 2016

Some finds recovered from the grave, like broad-bladed axe, shield boss, ringed pin and hammer and tongs. An in-depth investigation, published in the journal Antiquity, has revealed much of the Viking funerary rite involved in the burial at this remote part of Scotland. However, some mystery remains.