The Viking Shield

The Viking shield was found at Trelleborg and is the only shield from the Viking Age that has been found in Denmark. The shield was found as part of the project "Kongens borge" in 2008, which included trial excavations at Trelleborg. The shield was found in a wet area about 40 meters from the south gate of the castle. The shield is dated to the time of the Viking castle around 980 AD and is an important source of knowledge about the Vikings' war life and combat techniques.

The shield is circular with a diameter of about 85 cm, consisting of 5 planks that are glued together with resin glue, as well as a decorated handle, attached on the back. The shield is 4mm at the edge of the shield and 8mm in the center, where there is also a hole for the warrior's hand. Traces of the shield's attachment to a shield boss were found near the shield, but not the shield boss itself. However, several shield bosses have been found elsewhere at Trelleborg.

In the exhibition at the Viking Castle Trelleborg, you can also see several types of the Vikings' weapons, displayed along with Denmark's only preserved Viking shield. See arrowheads, shot into the wall during an attack, throwing and thrusting spears, several types of battle axes, as well as two fantastic swords.

In the exhibition, you can find several reconstructed shields, including an exact copy of the Trelleborg Shield built in 2017. The copy is completely made of wood and has a copy of a shield boss found at Trelleborg. The shield was made by boatbuilder Hanus Jensen and Viking blacksmith Jesper Ildsmed.

The shield from the Viking Shield Project 2019 shows, through experimental archaeological weapons experiments, among other things, what damage different weapons can inflict on a shield. The reconstructed Viking shield's durability was tested with; arrows, spears, and swords, as well as two-handed Danish axes. The experiments showed something about how different weapons were handled, especially how the shield was used dynamically and as a weapon in itself. At the museum, you can see the shield with strike marks marked after the different types of weapons. Investigations showed that the shield was covered with calfskin and decorated with red and white paint. The shield and investigations were made in cooperation with Rolf Warmning from the Society for Combat Archaeology.

Below, you can see a video from the experiments. Note! The test subjects are wearing safety equipment, which is not from the Viking Age.