Roman objects in Denmark

In the first century AD Roman glass and bronze vessels, as well as a few made of silver, were imported to Denmark. These were luxury goods reserved for the elite. At first these imported goods mainly reached Funen and Lolland-Falster. The latter area produced the Hoby grave. Later, Roman objects also appeared in the rest of Denmark. The bronze vessels were often pans with handles, originally meant for measuring out wine. But in Denmark they were probably used for beer or mead-like drinks brewed from wheat or barley. Among the Romans the use of glass was relatively common and some glassware also reached Denmark. A pair of glass bowls from the first century AD have been found in a rich grave in Juellinge on Lolland. In the course of the second and third centuries AD more and more Roman metal and glass goods were laid in the graves of the richest families. Coins too found their way from the Roman Empire to Denmark, but they were more commonly hidden away as hoards or trading caches. These could be melted down into jewellery and other objects.