Rare grave goods In 1953 a sensational find was excavated in a burial mound at Lundsbakke in Værløse, north of Copenhagen. The barrow contained the grave of a man dating to the early Bronze Age. The dead man had been placed in an oak coffin and had been given some peculiar grave goods. Among his possessions were two double axe-shaped pieces of bronze jewellery, of a type known from Greece and Crete. The grave goods also included an amber bead of a foreign design, that is also known from Greece. It was in fact a Scandinavian amber bead, which had been on a journey to the Mediterranean and back. Jewelry
The belt plate from Langstrup In 1879 peat was cut from Langstrup bog near Asminderød not far from Fredensborg in North Zealand. One of the finest founds from the Bronze Age came to light. [...] The following year, the National Museum bought the discovery from a local antique shop, who had apparently bought it from the farmer. Back then finds of bronze objects was not covered by the treasure trove rules, and the National Museum had to buy them. Unfortunately we do not know the exact place of the findings. The local policeman wrote further that "The owner was so indifferent to these things that he had not bothered
horses, pigs, sheep and goats. In addition, there were hens, geese and ducks. Fish were also caught in the sea and seals were sometimes hunted. The Vikings got the most out of their domestic animals. First [...] al-Tartushi wrote of the inhabitants of Hedeby, that their most important source of nourishment was fish. But they also lived close to the sea. They could choose from 26 different types of fish – the most important of these was herring, which was probably preserved in brine. Archaeological finds also indicate that fishing was an important occupation. These include nets, metal hooks, eel spears and fish bones.
healthy trade had taken place involving the exchange of cereals and other agricultural products from North Jutland for timber and iron from Norway. Early on this trade used large open boats with masts [...] of this type of vessel. Originally the majority of the Danish schooners were clinker built in oak to provide the necessary strength and elasticity. This was required to enable the use of the sails in high seas [...] route gradually ceased to operate, the ship entered Danish hands in 1888. Afterwards it became part of the ordinary Danish traffic of small ships – with detours to Sweden and North Germany –
Foreign drinking bowls Ten bronze bowls and a bronze ankle ring were deposited as offerings in Simons Mose around 1200 BC. The bowls were made in central Europe, but inspired by Greek vessels. The ankle ring was made in the Mecklenburg area, south of the Baltic. The finds show that in the early Bronze Age there were contacts across the Baltic Sea to northern Germany. There connection could be made with a network of contacts, reaching into southeast and central Europe. From here there were further connections to the eastern Mediterranean. Drinking vessels like those from Simons Mose were much sought
Coastal settlements The Ertebølle period’s hunters preferred to live close to the coast in the summer months. Their settlements often lay close to where streams met the sea and food supplies were varied and plentiful. On the coast we find their large rubbish dumps of piled-up oyster shells and other household waste, the so-called “kitchen middens”. In addition to shellfish collecting, fishing was an important occupation. Some fish were caught close to the coast using spears, traps and long fish weirs. In open water people fished for cod with hook and line. Larger animals like seals and small whales
Oceania Oceania is a vast region of the southwestern Pacific Ocean comprising Australia, New Guinea, and the many islands and island groups of Melanesia, Micronesia, and Polynesia, including New Zealand at its southern extreme and the Hawaiian Islands in the north, with over a thousand islands in between. As early as over 40,000 years ago, New Guinea was populated by people from whom Melanesia’s [...] There are great cultural variations in Oceania, but numerous common traits also exist. Many areas have been closely connected to each other through regional trade networks, and the sea is seen even today as binding
Serampore as seen from the river. Peter Anker, 1790. Museum of Cultural History, Oslo. European trading companies had long been searching for a sea route to India. This would grant them direct access [...] throughout the provinces. The Danish trading company established its first station in Bengal in 1698, a little north of Serampore. However, the Danes soon began to cause problems for the local authorities. [...] from different regions of India moved to Serampore to find employment at the factories where they produced sackcloth from jute fibres or machine-made cotton. Around 1900, numerous residents of Serampore joined
The Bronze Age shields The bronze shields found in Danish bogs were made in central Europe in the period 1100-700 BC. Such bronze shields are known from Italy in the south to Sweden in the north, from Spain and Ireland in the west to Hungary in the east. It is unlikely that the shields were used in war or battle. They were used in rituals. From ancient Rome we hear of ancient ceremonies where priests [...] can be seen in connection with ritual dances. Shield, finding place is unknown. On the rock carving from Svenneby, Bohuslän in Sweden, people carrying circular objects can be seen. Is it a shield or a
of the two-wheeled chariot with four spokes reached the north from the Mediterranean area. On tombstones of kings in Mycenae in Greece two-wheeled chariots are being driven. Some bronze objects from Gallemose may [...] carving from Fränarp, Skåne. The chariot is being pulled by horses. A burial mound at Tobøl in Southern Jutland produced a number of bronze finds, including a small wheel.
