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Glass-bead production was a major craft industry in Northern Europe during the Early Middle Ages. This was a time characterized by a fragmentation of long-distance exchange networks in Eurasia, and of rapid change in raw glass production and distribution. We report results from glass recovered from two bead-making workshops within the trading emporium of Ribe, Denmark (eighth century CE). Ninety pieces of tesserae, vessel fragments, cullet, crucibles, workshop refuse and beads were analyzed for major and trace element by electron microprobe and laser ablation ICP-MS. Isotopic compositions were measured on thirteen samples for Sr and on six samples for Hf. For the Early workshop and contemporary material, the results demonstrate a use of recycled Roman and Late Antique glass including Egyptian HIMT, Foy 2.1 and Foy 3.2. White beads were made by remelting gold leaf tesserae at low temperature, creating bubbles and thus opaque white. Blue glass present as glass splinters is explained as melting blue tesserae together with mainly gold leaf tesserae thereby diluting Sb and Ca to obtain translucent glass by preventing crystallization of calcium antimonates. Vessel glass cullet is heavily contaminated Roman-type glass. The range of colours in the Late workshop shows evidence of glass mixing and addition of colourant for colours including black, red, green and yellow. Mixing of recycled glass with lead stannate in sherds from glass crucibles show that green and yellow colouring was carried out on site. Both workshops show a more complex processing from tesserae and cullet to beads than suggested by previous analysis.

Slaviske genstande fra vikingetid fundet i Danmark

Anmeldelse af monografien Women & Weapons in the Viking World. Amazons of the North, af Leszek Gardeła. Review of monograph by Leszek Gardeła, Women and Weapons in the Viking World. Amazons of the North.

Rapport for udgravning af 6500 m2 i den vestlige udkant af landsbyen Ølsemagle nord for Køge. I udgravningen fremkom bebyggelsesspor fra jernalder til nyere tid.

The article deals with the excavated finds of runic inscriptions in Ribe, during the campaigns in 2017-18. The fragment of a supposed bone plate is carved with runes on one side, whereas a fragmented antler comb is carved with runes on both sides. The bone plate dates to the mid- or late nineth century, whereas the comb has a slightly earlier date to the first half of the nineth century. Suggestions for readings and interpretations of the inscriptions are put forward as well as discussions of the linguistic stage of the texts. Of special interest is the word kąbaʀ, Old Danish kambr, which includes either an epenthetic vowel or a preserved stem vowel. On the basis of linguistic analyses and contemporary Danish finds, it is argued that the inscription contains an epenthetic vowel.Finally, the inscriptions are discussed in relation to the distribution of runic inscriptions in early town environments.

The Viking Age and early medieval period in Denmark was marked by extensive social, political and religious change but also strong continuity. Following the Conversion to Christianity old norms and beliefs were gradually replaced by new ways of thinking, new institutions and practices, even by new fashions in both dress and ornament. A wide variety of ornaments dating from the ninth to the twelfth centuries have been recovered over the past decades, the vast majority by means of private metal detector usage. Many of the jewellery motifs resemble those depicted in contemporary coinage or in the architecture and inventory of early churches but whereas coins and church buildings were very much associated with the upper levels in society, the small items for personal use, most of them of copper alloy, offer a different perspective on changing fashions and the integration of Christian beliefs in late Viking-Age and early medieval Denmark.

The use of house types and typologies has played a central role in settlement archaeology in South Scandinavia since the earliest finds of longhouses, but the methods, use and concepts of the approach are rarely discussed within the field. An increasing critique of types and typologies calls for a renewed engagement with the approach. In the article, an investigation of the use of the Trelleborg house type serves as a case for identifying and discussing more general problems with house types and typologies. The investigation demonstrates how house types are, often unreflectively, closely integrated with the documentation of the archaeological houses. It is argued that the use of house types in the primary documentation of archaeological houses causes serious limitations in the possibilities for complex interpretations and understandings. The house type is better suited for specific and targeted studies with an explicit purpose. As an alternative to the typological approach, it is argued that assemblage theory is a fruitful way to rethink description of the archaeological record which provides possibilities for a more complex understanding and interpretation of the development and meaning of the archaeological house, and in this case more specifically of the Trelleborg house. The use of house types and typologies has played a central role in settlement archaeology in South Scandinavia since the earliest finds of longhouses, but the methods, use and concepts of the approach are rarely discussed within the field. An increasing critique of types and typologies calls for a renewed engagement with the approach. In the article, an investigation of the use of the Trelleborg house type serves as a case for identifying and discussing more general problems with house types and typologies. The investigation demonstrates how house types are, often unreflectively, closely integrated with the documentation of the archaeological houses. It is argued that the use of house types in the primary documentation of archaeological houses causes serious limitations in the possibilities for complex interpretations and understandings. The house type is better suited for specific and targeted studies with an explicit purpose. As an alternative to the typological approach, it is argued that assemblage theory is a fruitful way to rethink description of the archaeological record which provides possibilities for a more complex understanding and interpretation of the development and meaning of the archaeological house, and in this case more specifically of the Trelleborg house.

Om afsnittet Nye tider, nye motiver: I løbet af vikingetiden og den tidlige middelalder dukker nye motiver op på tidens smykker. Motiverne har deres rødder i den kristne billedverden.

The runestones on Bornholm have for a long time aroused discussion due to their singular character and dating as compared to most runestones in other parts of Denmark. In this paper, the relations between sponsors and rune carvers have been investigated through analysis of the carving technique by means of the first 3D-scanning and multivariate statistical analysis ever carried out on the Danish runestone material. The results indicate that the carvers were attached to the sponsor families and that the carvers were probably members of those families. During the fieldwork, a fragment of a previously unknown runestone was documented in the church of St. Knud.

Viking - Ran, ild og sværd er den brede fortælling om vikingetiden, hvor Nordens krigere satte sejl i jagten på guld, ære og i sidste ende land. De blev magtfulde krigere og købmænd i en verden, hvor de også tog del i det voldelige spil om magten - store slag, politiske magtkampe, rænkespil og landvindinger er alle facetter af fortællingen om vikingernes dominans på havet.

Maintaining soil health is integral to agricultural production, and the archaeological record contains multiple lines of palaeoclimatic and palaeoenvironmental proxy evidence that can contribute to the understanding and analysis of long-term trajectories of change that are key for contextualizing 21st century global environmental challenges. Soil is a capital resource and its nutrient balance is modified by agricultural activities, making it necessary to ensure soil productivity is maintained and managed through human choices and actions. Since prehistory this has always been the case; soil is a non-renewable resource within a human lifetime. Here, we present and interpret carbon and nitrogen isotope analysis of charred cereals from southern Scandinavia. Anthropogenic effects on soils are evident from the initiation of farming 6000 years ago, as is amendment to counteract its effects. The earliest cereals were planted on pristine soils, and by the late Neolithic, agriculture extensified. By the Iron Age it was necessary to significantly amend depleted soils to maintain crop yields. We propose that these data provide a record of soil water retention, net precipitation and amendment. From the start of the Neolithic there is a concurrent decrease in both Δ13C and δ15N, mitigated only by the replacement of soil organic content in the form of manure in the Iron Age. The cereal isotopes provide a record of trajectories of agricultural sustainability and anthropogenic adaptation for nearly the entire history of farming in the region.

Oversigt over vikingetiden, i Skandinavien og ude i verden

In 2006 and 2007 remains of an unusual Late Iron-Age and Early Viking-Age settlement came to light during a rescue excavation at Erritsø, a few hundred metres from the present older bridge connecting the Jutland peninsular with the island of Funen. Most conspicuous were a moat (110 by 110m square) and palisade which surrounded a prominent main hall building. The hall was connected with an inner fence and a small building. Investigations at the site were resumed in 2015. Geophysical investigation followed by archaeological excavation in 2016 revealed that the settlement was more extensive, and 14C-dating of samples from the new excavation provided dates in the 8th and 9th centuries. The site has a highly strategic location and was no doubt important both in practical terms and as a manifestation of control of land and sea traffic the area. Investigations have continued in 2018-19.

Forklaring på naturfænomener beskrevet i forbindelse med vikingeangrebet på Lindisfarne år 793

Klangshøj is a flat-topped burial mound similar to the Royal Jelling mounds, although smaller.The myths tell that a well has existed on top of the mound as at Jelling and a spring had flown atthe base of the mound. In order to verify the myths and a similar hydrology in Klangshøj as foundin Jelling, several borings have been carried out in a north-south line across the mound.The investigation showed that Klangshøj is built of sods mainly harvested from heathland. Thesods are of different grain sizes from fine sand to clay. The preservation conditions were excellentin three of the six borings, where undecomposed plant remnants, occasionally greenish, wereobserved. A 14C-dating showed that the mound was built in the Viking Age. The hydrology inKlangshøj is the same as in the Jelling mounds, with a permeable bioturbation zone coveringalmost impermeable, distinct sod layers. This form a perched groundwater table in the transitionzone, which keeps the distinct sod layer below anaerobic, i.e. the preservation conditionsextremely favourable. The perched water table drains internally as in the Jelling mounds, andthere are no current nor fossil evidence to suggest a spring was ever present at the foot slope, asthe local legend suggests. Moreover, it seems unlikely that a well, similar to the one on the Jellingmound, has existed on the top of the north-facing slope, as the amount of water the well wouldhave been able to collect is little.

Ned mod åen lige nord for vikingetidens Ribe blev der engang i 700-tallet begravet en mand). Da kisten blev sat ned, kom hans hoved til at vende mod syd i den nordsydvendte grav. Ud fra skeletsporet har han været ca. 167 cm høj, og hans ansigt var sikkert prydet af et velplejet skæg. Han havde sine personlige ejendele med sig, hængende fra bæltet. Ved højre side var en foldekniv af jern, i venstre side et bælte med spænde af jern og en særlig pincet af bronze. Placeringen viser, at der er tale om den dødes ejendele og personlige udstyr: hans dagligdags barbergrej. De par ting, han har med sig, er relativt sjældne og forekommer her nordligst i deres udbredelse. I dag udgør de etniske markører for genstande, der har deres hovedudbredelsesområde længere mod syd. Sådanne sager hører nemlig frisere eller saksere til.

The aim of the project Norse Farming in Greenland: Agriculture on the edge was to determine whether the Norse farmers actually cultivated crops in Greenland during colonisation in the Viking age and the medieval period. This was investigated by analysing macrofossils extracted from soil samples of middens, combined with phosphate analyses of the area around Norse farmsteads.In three field seasons 450 kg of soil was sampled from 12 Norse farmsteads together with samples for phosphate analysis covering an area of 12 ha from two farmsteads.The soil samples contained numerous seeds from wild plants giving information about the local vegetation. Charred grains and threshing waste of barley was found in samples from four sites, strongly indicating that barley was cultivated in Greenland by the Norse farmers.The phosphate analyses showed no sign of any deliberate manuring of the infields as high concentrations of phosphate were only found around the houses and pens

Siden begyndelsen af 1900-årene har de mere end 130 lokaliteter i Skandinavien og på Orkney med betegnelsen Husaby, Huseby, Husby etc. været genstand for debat. De enkelte artikler behandler Husebyer fra forskellige områder ud fra onomastisk, historisk, arkæologisk perspektiv.

Opridser problematikker og teser omkring en mystisk goldskive (curmsun disken) oprindelig fundet i Polen ca. 1840 med en inskrift, der omtaler Harald Blåtand.

Bidrag fra en tværfaglig konference om forbindelser på tværs af Skagerrak og Kattegat i vikingetiden. Skagerrak og Kattegat var grænseregion mellem politiske magter, men forbandt samtidigt store områder med et stærkt sprog- og kulturfællesskab. Skriftlige kilder giver et indtryk af politiske alliancer og modsætninger i regionen, mens arkæologiske fund vidner om udveksling, konflikt, kulturpåvirkninger og gruppemarkeringer. På trods af, at mængden af fund er vokset stærkt i de senere år, er mange spørgsmål svagt belyst: Hvordan blev elitens alliancer og netværk vedligeholdt og synliggjort, og hvordan påvirkede de skiftende magtforhold lokalsamfundene? Medførte den tætte kontakt ændringer i den materielle kultur eller rituelle praksis i Danmark, Sydnorge og Vestsverige? Blev alle eller kun få samfundsgrupper berørt? I denne bog sættes fokus på kulturelle ligheder og forskelle – sammenhænge på tværs af Sydskandinavien – med Skagerrak og Kattegat som det fælles omdrejningspunkt. Det handler både om de kystegne, der grænsede direkte op til det fælles hav, og om de større lande og landskaber, havet forbandt. Bogen giver et indblik i det arkæologiske kildemateriale omkring Skagerrak og Kattegat og viser behovet for at bygge bro over forskellige forskningstraditioner, registreringspraksis og antikvarisk lovgivning, herunder f.eks. forskellig praksis i brugen af metaldetektorer. Problematikken belyses i et tværfagligt perspektiv, der også inddrager kulturgeografi, stednavneforskning og skriftlige kilder.

The situation of Aggersborg