Before diving into the subject, it should be clarified that the dates of the Iron Age in Scandinavia do not correspond with those of other regions such as the Mediterranean or the Near East. In Scandinavia, the Iron Age began around 500 B.C. and extended at least until 800 A.D., when the Viking Age began. […]
Denmark
Posted inClassical Archaeology
A Roman Bronze Plaque from 200 AD Depicting Alexander the Great, Found in Denmark
Alexander the Great, also known as Alexander III of Macedon, was one of the greatest military leaders in history. He ruled an empire that stretched from Greece to India during his lifetime, which was cut short when he died in Babylon at the young age of 32 in 323 BC. Even centuries after his death, […]
Posted inAntiquity, Art
The Story of the Discovery and Loss of the Golden Horns of Gallehus, Created in the Germanic Iron Age
The story of the impressive and extraordinary Golden Horns of Gallehus, from their creation, discovery, and ultimate loss, is perhaps one of the saddest in European archaeology, specifically Danish. Both pieces, found separately, were recognized immediately upon discovery as exceptional finds, and the fact that today we can only admire reconstructions of the originals constitutes […]
Posted inIron Age Archaeology
Vindelev Treasure revealed to have Belonged to a Mysterious Member of the European Elite in the Norse Iron Age
A farm located in the small town of Vindelev in Jutland, Denmark likely housed a very prominent and internationally connected individual, according to a new investigation by the National Museum of Denmark into the Vindelev Treasure, recently published in the research journal International Numismatic Chronicle. The lead researcher, Helle Horsnæs, examined the four Roman gold […]
Posted inGeography
Gunnbjørn, a Nunatak, is the Highest Peak in the Arctic Circle, Greenland and Denmark
Until the year 1930, it was believed that the highest point in Greenland was Mount Forel, located in the Schweizerland range southeast of the island. The mountain and the range were named by the Swiss explorer Alfred de Quervain in 1912. That year, Quervain’s expedition crossed the Greenland ice cap from Godhavn in the west, […]
Posted inMedieval Archaeology
Gold Ring Reveals Possible New Princely Lineage in Jutland Linked to Merovingians
A treasure hunter has uncovered an elaborate gold ring in southwestern Denmark that could shed light on a previously unknown lineage of royal figures with ties to powerful European dynasties in the early Medieval period. Lars Nielsen, 39, was metal detecting in the fields near Emmerlev when he came across the large gold ring encrusted […]
Posted inStone Age Archaeology
Vittrup Man, Found in a Bog in Denmark, Went from Gatherer to Farmer Before Being Sacrificed in 3200 BC
Scientists have created a detailed biography of a Stone Age man’s life through new scientific methods. A Swedish-Danish research team from the University of Gothenburg can now say they have traced where the “Vittrup Man”, a bog body found in Denmark, traveled during his lifetime. The Vittrup Man was discovered in 1915. His skull had […]
Posted inStone Age Archaeology
Scandinavia’s Early Farmers Wiped Out Hunter-Gatherer Population 5,900 Years Ago
A new study from Lund University in Sweden is challenging long-held beliefs about the transition from hunter-gatherer to agricultural societies in Scandinavia. Analyzing DNA extracted from skeletons and teeth dating back 7,300 years, researchers found evidence of not one but two almost complete population replacements occurring in what is now Denmark. The first change took […]
Posted inIron Age Archaeology
Denmark’s Oldest Runic Inscription Found on a 2,000-year-old Knife Blade
Archaeologists from the Odense Museum have found the oldest runic inscription in Denmark, carved on the blade of a nearly 2000-year-old knife. The knife was discovered beneath the remains of an urn grave in a small cemetery east of Odense and dates back to the year 150 AD. The museum’s curator, archaeologist Jakob Bonde, states: […]
Posted inAncient Greece, Art
A Centaur Head from the Parthenon has a Stain, and it’s a Mystery to Researchers
For almost 200 years, archaeologists have been puzzled by a mysterious brown stain found on ancient fragments from the Parthenon temple in Greece. Scientists from the University of Southern Denmark recently conducted new analysis, but the mystery remains unsolved. In the National Museum of Copenhagen, there is a marble head that was once part of […]
