I efteråret 2019 åbnede Vejdirektoratet den nye broforbindelse over Roskilde Fjord, som blev navn... more I efteråret 2019 åbnede Vejdirektoratet den nye broforbindelse over Roskilde Fjord, som blev navngivet efter Hendes Kongelige Højhed Kronprinsesse Mary. Forud for opførelsen af den 1,4 km lange bro og de 10 km tilhørende veje havde ROMU og Vikingeskibsmuseet foretaget omfattende arkæologiske undersøgelser henholdsvis til lands og til vands. Feltarbejdet fandt sted i perioden fra 2014 til 2017, og bevægede sig gennem et landskab, der viste sig at være rigt på fortidsminder fra de sidste 7.500 år. De arkæologiske undersøgelser, og de væsentligste af resultaterne, kan man læse om i denne bog.
Gefjon-Arkaeologiske studier og rapporter er et tidsskrift for arkaeologiske emner. Vi publicerer... more Gefjon-Arkaeologiske studier og rapporter er et tidsskrift for arkaeologiske emner. Vi publicerer bidrag fra hele Danmark, og som omhandler alt fra de aeldste perioder til i dag. Bidragene kan vaere egentlige videnskabelige studier af arkaeologiske problemstillinger såvel som rapporter, som i en mere foreløbig form behandler for eksempel enkeltstående lokaliteter, individuelle genstande, genstandsgrupper og projekter under udvikling. Både studier og rapporter bliver fagfaellebedømt efter gaeldende praksis. Derudover modtager vi også gerne kommentarer og replikker uden for det fagfaellebedømte felt.
Redigeret af Ole Thirup Kastholm, Kristoffer Buck Pedersen, Laura Maria Schütze og Mette Bielefel... more Redigeret af Ole Thirup Kastholm, Kristoffer Buck Pedersen, Laura Maria Schütze og Mette Bielefeldt Bruun
Redigeret af Ole Thirup Kastholm, Kristoffer Buck Pedersen, Laura Maria Schütze, Inge Christianse... more Redigeret af Ole Thirup Kastholm, Kristoffer Buck Pedersen, Laura Maria Schütze, Inge Christiansen og Naomi Pinholt
Due to persistent rumours of wooden planks from a ‘Viking Ship’ in the Lejre Stream (Lejre Å) run... more Due to persistent rumours of wooden planks from a ‘Viking Ship’ in the Lejre Stream (Lejre Å) running in the Valley of Lejre (Lejre Ådal) and near the dynastic residence of Lejre (the Scyldings’ palace), archaeologists have investigated the area in the 1980s. The negative result has never been the subject of any publication so far, let alone a closer examination of what the background of these rumours might be. This paper aims to present the investigation and its context. Furthermore, it sums up our knowledge about the Lejre Stream, which concludes that it was not a navigable waterway in the Late Iron Age. This investigation also suggests that the so-called ‘ship planks’ represent another wooden structure than a Viking ship, either a ford or a watermill. Finally, it is suggested on the basis of the investigation that the area of the dynastic residence of Lejre would be an ideal place to search for early watermill technology.
Gefjon - Arkæologiske studier og rapporter, nr. 8, 2023
Lune Mølle: A watermill in Lejre from the 13th century
The landscape around Lejre is rich on wat... more Lune Mølle: A watermill in Lejre from the 13th century
The landscape around Lejre is rich on watermills, some of which dates back to the Medieval. This report presents a new find of a watermill in Lejre river valley. The find consists in a mill channel, flanked with oak poles, and a massive stone foundation. Dendrochronological analysis show that the channel was constructed c. 1200 and repaired c. 1250. The mill is not known from historical registers, but historical maps from c. 1800 reveal a mill name at the exact find spot “Lune Mølle Agre” (the fields of Lune Mill). A dam c. 100 m upstream is most likely to be seen in connection with the watermill, but remains undated until further investigations has been done.
I efteråret 2019 åbnede Vejdirektoratet den nye broforbindelse over Roskilde Fjord, som blev navn... more I efteråret 2019 åbnede Vejdirektoratet den nye broforbindelse over Roskilde Fjord, som blev navngivet efter Hendes Kongelige Højhed Kronprinsesse Mary. Forud for opførelsen af den 1,4 km lange bro og de 10 km tilhørende veje havde ROMU og Vikingeskibsmuseet foretaget omfattende arkæologiske undersøgelser henholdsvis til lands og til vands. Feltarbejdet fandt sted i perioden fra 2014 til 2017, og bevægede sig gennem et landskab, der viste sig at være rigt på fortidsminder fra de sidste 7.500 år. De arkæologiske undersøgelser, og de væsentligste af resultaterne, kan man læse om i denne bog.
Gefjon-Arkaeologiske studier og rapporter er et tidsskrift for arkaeologiske emner. Vi publicerer... more Gefjon-Arkaeologiske studier og rapporter er et tidsskrift for arkaeologiske emner. Vi publicerer bidrag fra hele Danmark, og som omhandler alt fra de aeldste perioder til i dag. Bidragene kan vaere egentlige videnskabelige studier af arkaeologiske problemstillinger såvel som rapporter, som i en mere foreløbig form behandler for eksempel enkeltstående lokaliteter, individuelle genstande, genstandsgrupper og projekter under udvikling. Både studier og rapporter bliver fagfaellebedømt efter gaeldende praksis. Derudover modtager vi også gerne kommentarer og replikker uden for det fagfaellebedømte felt.
Redigeret af Ole Thirup Kastholm, Kristoffer Buck Pedersen, Laura Maria Schütze og Mette Bielefel... more Redigeret af Ole Thirup Kastholm, Kristoffer Buck Pedersen, Laura Maria Schütze og Mette Bielefeldt Bruun
Redigeret af Ole Thirup Kastholm, Kristoffer Buck Pedersen, Laura Maria Schütze, Inge Christianse... more Redigeret af Ole Thirup Kastholm, Kristoffer Buck Pedersen, Laura Maria Schütze, Inge Christiansen og Naomi Pinholt
Due to persistent rumours of wooden planks from a ‘Viking Ship’ in the Lejre Stream (Lejre Å) run... more Due to persistent rumours of wooden planks from a ‘Viking Ship’ in the Lejre Stream (Lejre Å) running in the Valley of Lejre (Lejre Ådal) and near the dynastic residence of Lejre (the Scyldings’ palace), archaeologists have investigated the area in the 1980s. The negative result has never been the subject of any publication so far, let alone a closer examination of what the background of these rumours might be. This paper aims to present the investigation and its context. Furthermore, it sums up our knowledge about the Lejre Stream, which concludes that it was not a navigable waterway in the Late Iron Age. This investigation also suggests that the so-called ‘ship planks’ represent another wooden structure than a Viking ship, either a ford or a watermill. Finally, it is suggested on the basis of the investigation that the area of the dynastic residence of Lejre would be an ideal place to search for early watermill technology.
Gefjon - Arkæologiske studier og rapporter, nr. 8, 2023
Lune Mølle: A watermill in Lejre from the 13th century
The landscape around Lejre is rich on wat... more Lune Mølle: A watermill in Lejre from the 13th century
The landscape around Lejre is rich on watermills, some of which dates back to the Medieval. This report presents a new find of a watermill in Lejre river valley. The find consists in a mill channel, flanked with oak poles, and a massive stone foundation. Dendrochronological analysis show that the channel was constructed c. 1200 and repaired c. 1250. The mill is not known from historical registers, but historical maps from c. 1800 reveal a mill name at the exact find spot “Lune Mølle Agre” (the fields of Lune Mill). A dam c. 100 m upstream is most likely to be seen in connection with the watermill, but remains undated until further investigations has been done.
L. Gardeła, S. Bønding & P. Pentz (eds): The Norse Sorceress. Mind and Materiality in the Viking World. Oxford. , 2023
From the area around Roskilde on the Danish island of Zealand, two unusual graves from the ninth ... more From the area around Roskilde on the Danish island of Zealand, two unusual graves from the ninth century are known: ‘grave B’ from Gerdrup and ‘grave A505’ from Trekroner-Grydehøj. Both graves have been suggested to be vǫlur graves. The two graves have common features such as stones in the grave fill, multiple individuals, special objects, animals and proximity to older grave monuments. However, there are also differences between the graves in their complexity and their location in the landscape. In this article, we will first provide a summary of the nature of the two graves as well as their topographical and cultural context. The previous interpretations of the tombs will be referenced. Next, we will focus on the specific elements that form the basis for the interpretation as vǫlur graves, and discuss the validity of these, including how we distinguish between ‘normality’, ‘variation’ and ‘deviancy’ in the Viking Age graves, which are generally characterized by significant variation. Finally, we take a critical look at the two graves and assess the extent to which they might be classified as vǫlur graves. The conclusion is that such classification is not unambiguous and that the vǫlva elements are stronger in the Trekroner-Grydehøj grave than in the Gerdrup grave.
Gefjon - Arkæologiske studier og rapporter, nr. 7, 2022
In recent years, more than 200 burials from the Roman Iron Age have appeared in the area around R... more In recent years, more than 200 burials from the Roman Iron Age have appeared in the area around Roskilde. Most often, they lie together in well-defined burial sites near the settlements, but separated from these, thus following a well-known pattern. However, in rarer cases, the graves are located inside the settlement. An example of such a grave is presented in this short report. It is a woman's inhumation grave from the last half of the 3rd century ADs, which is located close to a contemporary farm unit in several phases. It is suggested that this is not a coincidence, but that there must be an intentional connection between the grave and the dwelling, probably not just in this case, but in general.
I efteråret 2019 åbnede Vejdirektoratet den nye broforbindelse over Roskilde Fjord, som blev navn... more I efteråret 2019 åbnede Vejdirektoratet den nye broforbindelse over Roskilde Fjord, som blev navngivet efter Hendes Kongelige Højhed Kronprinsesse Mary. Forud for opførelsen af den 1,4 km lange bro og de 10 km tilhørende veje havde ROMU og Vikingeskibsmuseet foretaget omfattende arkæologiske undersøgelser henholdsvis til lands og til vands. Feltarbejdet fandt sted i perioden fra 2014 til 2017, og bevægede sig gennem et landskab, der viste sig at være rigt på fortidsminder fra de sidste 7.500 år. De arkæologiske undersøgelser, og de væsentligste af resultaterne, kan man læse om i denne bog.
I efteråret 2019 åbnede Vejdirektoratet den nye broforbindelse over Roskilde Fjord, som blev navn... more I efteråret 2019 åbnede Vejdirektoratet den nye broforbindelse over Roskilde Fjord, som blev navngivet efter Hendes Kongelige Højhed Kronprinsesse Mary. Forud for opførelsen af den 1,4 km lange bro og de 10 km tilhørende veje havde ROMU og Vikingeskibsmuseet foretaget omfattende arkæologiske undersøgelser henholdsvis til lands og til vands. Feltarbejdet fandt sted i perioden fra 2014 til 2017, og bevægede sig gennem et landskab, der viste sig at være rigt på fortidsminder fra de sidste 7.500 år. De arkæologiske undersøgelser, og de væsentligste af resultaterne, kan man læse om i denne bog.
I efteråret 2019 åbnede Vejdirektoratet den nye broforbindelse over Roskilde Fjord, som blev navn... more I efteråret 2019 åbnede Vejdirektoratet den nye broforbindelse over Roskilde Fjord, som blev navngivet efter Hendes Kongelige Højhed Kronprinsesse Mary. Forud for opførelsen af den 1,4 km lange bro og de 10 km tilhørende veje havde ROMU og Vikingeskibsmuseet foretaget omfattende arkæologiske undersøgelser henholdsvis til lands og til vands. Feltarbejdet fandt sted i perioden fra 2014 til 2017, og bevægede sig gennem et landskab, der viste sig at være rigt på fortidsminder fra de sidste 7.500 år. De arkæologiske undersøgelser, og de væsentligste af resultaterne, kan man læse om i denne bog.
I efteråret 2019 åbnede Vejdirektoratet den nye broforbindelse over Roskilde Fjord, som blev navn... more I efteråret 2019 åbnede Vejdirektoratet den nye broforbindelse over Roskilde Fjord, som blev navngivet efter Hendes Kongelige Højhed Kronprinsesse Mary. Forud for opførelsen af den 1,4 km lange bro og de 10 km tilhørende veje havde ROMU og Vikingeskibsmuseet foretaget omfattende arkæologiske undersøgelser henholdsvis til lands og til vands. Feltarbejdet fandt sted i perioden fra 2014 til 2017, og bevægede sig gennem et landskab, der viste sig at være rigt på fortidsminder fra de sidste 7.500 år. De arkæologiske undersøgelser, og de væsentligste af resultaterne, kan man læse om i denne bog.
Gefjon - Arkæologiske studier og rapporter, nr. 6, 2021
Ship-handling and blacksmith activities in the Late Viking Age at Tørslev Hage, Roskilde Fjord In... more Ship-handling and blacksmith activities in the Late Viking Age at Tørslev Hage, Roskilde Fjord In 2016, ROMU excavated a coastal-near site where used iron clench-nails, traces of forging as well as tools have been found, the latter including a supposed two-in-one tool that combines clinker hammer and chisel. A special find was a steel fragment possibly derived from an Ulfberht sword. Most finds were metal detector finds in the top soil, and only few pits were found in the ground. The site is dated to the 10th or early 11th century on the background of a coin and C14-results. The proximity of the site to the Iron Age and early medieval sea barriers in the fjord at Skuldelev indicates that there may be a connection, e.g. that dismantling of outworn ships took place here.
In 1981, a double burial from the 9 th century was excavated at Gerdrup, north of Roskilde. The g... more In 1981, a double burial from the 9 th century was excavated at Gerdrup, north of Roskilde. The grave contained remains of the bodies of a woman and a man. The woman was buried with a spear, whilst the man had apparently been killed before burial. This has been interpreted as a 'master and slave burial', which was placed at an isolated location, perhaps because the buried were regarded as pariahs. However, previously unpublished excavation data combined with new 14 C analyses indicate that the burial was part of a small multi-period burial site, which was located near a group of earlier burial mounds. Topographic analyses show that the burial was also located on an important ford, and therefore had a prominent location. Significantly, new DNA analyses surprisingly indicate that the two buried individuals actually have a parent-offspring relationship: they are mother and son. The previous interpretation of the Gerdrup grave is thus challenged. This article will present the relevant excavation data and discuss this in the light of the new analyses.
The development and character of the so-called Scandinavian boat-building tradition has long been... more The development and character of the so-called Scandinavian boat-building tradition has long been a matter of debate. It is commonly thought that it extends back to around AD 1. But what happened before that date? Countless Bronze Age vessels are depicted on rock carvings and bronzes, but few are known as actual wrecks. Which tradition do they represent? In this essay it is suggested that the Scandinavian boat-building tradition was born already at the beginning of the Bronze Age. The basis for this suggestion is a number of observations indicating continuity into the ist Millennium, as seen in ship depictions, ship settings and wrecks. The Bronze Age shipwrecks are not nomerous, but some are known. From the Continent, the British Isles and Scandinavia several log boats are known, which share important technological features such as hewn out frames, rectangular/ trapezoid cross-section and a considerable length (fig. i). There are indications of a relationship between these log boat...
The Viking maritime expansion from Scandinavia (Denmark, Norway, and Sweden) marks one of the swi... more The Viking maritime expansion from Scandinavia (Denmark, Norway, and Sweden) marks one of the swiftest and most far-flung cultural transformations in global history. During this time (c. 750 to 1050 CE), the Vikings reached most of western Eurasia, Greenland, and North America, and left a cultural legacy that persists till today. To understand the genetic structure and influence of the Viking expansion, we sequenced the genomes of 442 ancient humans from across Europe and Greenland ranging from the Bronze Age (c. 2400 BC) to the early Modern period (c. 1600 CE), with particular emphasis on the Viking Age. We find that the period preceding the Viking Age was accompanied by foreign gene flow into Scandinavia from the south and east: spreading from Denmark and eastern Sweden to the rest of Scandinavia. Despite the close linguistic similarities of modern Scandinavian languages, we observe genetic structure within Scandinavia, suggesting that regional population differences were already ...
Arkaeologisk Forum er et fagligt tidsskrift der søger at saette det arkaeologiske fag ind i en st... more Arkaeologisk Forum er et fagligt tidsskrift der søger at saette det arkaeologiske fag ind i en større sammenhaeng-både videnskabeligt og samfundsmaessigt. Her kan både arkaeologisk faglige og fagpolitiske emner behandles og debatteres. Skriv til Arkaeologisk Forum: Arkaeologisk Forum modtager gerne bidrag. Kontakt redaktionen, og få råd og vink om indhold, laesere, formaliteter, deadlines m.v. Fagfaellebedømmelse: Generelt bliver tekster i Arkaeologisk Forum fagfaellebedømt. Fagfaellebedømte artikler er markeret med en stjerne (*) ved forfatternavnet.
En ny bog fra Vikingeskibsmuseet fortæller om de udspændte småbåde fra jernalderen og vikingetide... more En ny bog fra Vikingeskibsmuseet fortæller om de udspændte småbåde fra jernalderen og vikingetiden. Der redegøres for det arkæologiske kildemateriale, og det eksperimentelarkæologiske arbejde med tre rekonstruktioner beskrives. For så vidt angår kildematerialet undlader bogen desværre at behandle nogle indlysende spørgsmål, og vi får derfor ikke en dybtgående diskussion af hvordan de særegne udspændte både kan – eller måske ikke kan – påvises i forhistorien. Derimod sætter bogens eksperimentelarkæologiske del nye, høje standarder for beskrivelserne og refleksionerne i de eksperimentelle processer omkring skibsrekonstruktioner.
Review of Uta Halle's: "“Die Externsteine sind bis auf weiteres germanisch!" Prähistorische Archä... more Review of Uta Halle's: "“Die Externsteine sind bis auf weiteres germanisch!" Prähistorische Archäologie im Dritten Reich." (2002).
Review of Bodil Petterson's: "Föreställningar om det förflutna. Arkeologi och rekonstruktion" (20... more Review of Bodil Petterson's: "Föreställningar om det förflutna. Arkeologi och rekonstruktion" (2003).
Et af de mest fascinerende og komplekse redskaber vi kender fra vikingetiden er skibet. Fascinati... more Et af de mest fascinerende og komplekse redskaber vi kender fra vikingetiden er skibet. Fascinationen går tilbage til 1800-tallets romantiske fortidsdyrkelse. Den tog for alvor fart i 1800-tallets sidste halvdel, hvor de første arkaeologiske fund af vikingeskibe dukkede op. Allerede dengang var iveren for at genskabe vikingernes skibe stor -således blev Gokstadskibet udgravet i 1880, og allerede godt ti år efter sejlede en rekonstruktion af dette skib over Atlanterhavet. DIAS VIKING.
En analyse af vikingetidens skibsmotivers teknologiske vidnesbyrd viser, at de fleste motiver afb... more En analyse af vikingetidens skibsmotivers teknologiske vidnesbyrd viser, at de fleste motiver afbilder krigsskibe, udstyret med meget brede og lave råsejl. Dette står imidlertid i synlig kontrast til nutidens rekonstruktioner af vikingetidens krigsskibe, som er udstyret med en divergerende, højere råsejlstype, der i høj grad er inspireret af 1800-tallets nordlandsbåde. Hermed er et etnografisk referencemateriale kommet til at stå i centrum på bekostning af arkæologiske kilder.
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The landscape around Lejre is rich on watermills, some of which dates back to the Medieval. This report presents a new find of a watermill in Lejre river valley. The find consists in a mill channel, flanked with oak poles, and a massive stone foundation. Dendrochronological analysis show that the channel was constructed c. 1200 and repaired c. 1250. The mill is not known from historical registers, but historical maps from c. 1800 reveal a mill name at the exact find spot “Lune Mølle Agre” (the fields of Lune Mill). A dam c. 100 m upstream is most likely to be seen in connection with the watermill, but remains undated until further investigations has been done.
The landscape around Lejre is rich on watermills, some of which dates back to the Medieval. This report presents a new find of a watermill in Lejre river valley. The find consists in a mill channel, flanked with oak poles, and a massive stone foundation. Dendrochronological analysis show that the channel was constructed c. 1200 and repaired c. 1250. The mill is not known from historical registers, but historical maps from c. 1800 reveal a mill name at the exact find spot “Lune Mølle Agre” (the fields of Lune Mill). A dam c. 100 m upstream is most likely to be seen in connection with the watermill, but remains undated until further investigations has been done.
In this article, we will first provide a summary of the nature of the two graves as well as their topographical and cultural context. The previous interpretations of the tombs will be referenced. Next, we will focus on the specific elements that form the basis for the interpretation as vǫlur graves, and discuss the validity of these, including how we distinguish between ‘normality’, ‘variation’ and ‘deviancy’ in the Viking Age graves, which are generally characterized by significant variation. Finally, we take a critical look at the two graves and assess the extent to which they might be classified as vǫlur graves. The conclusion is that such classification is not unambiguous and that the vǫlva elements are stronger in the Trekroner-Grydehøj grave than in the Gerdrup grave.