A Thousand Year Old Viking Hall in Denmark Unearthed By Archaeologists
Archaeologists located in Denmark recently discovered to their amazement the remains of a Vikings hall that would have been used at the height of the late Viking age between the ninth and eleventh centuries. The structure measures hundred-thirty feet long and twenty-six to thirty-two feet wide.
The hall’s structure includes a round of ten to twelve rectangular oak posts which are designed to hold up the roof securely. Researchers suspect the structure is larger than the average house of the time because it was a very prestigious building. This kind of hall usually had been owned by someone wealthy, powerful, and prominent. The building is remarkably intact.
“This is the largest Viking Age find of this nature in more than ten years, and we have not seen anything like it before here in North Jutland, even though it has only been partially excavated,” archaeologist and excavation leader Thomas Rune Knudsen said in recent statements. “We only had the opportunity to excavate part of the hall, but there are probably several houses hidden under the mulch to the east. A hall building of this nature rarely stands alone,” He adds detailing that there is still a lot of work ahead to unlock all the history it can reveal.
Researchers from the Historical Museum of Northern Jutland uncovered remains of the structure near Hune, a village in northern Denmark. This is the rarest and biggest building of its size found in more than a decade. The teams say that the structure dates to the era of Denmark’s king Harald Blåtand Gormsson, after whom modern Bluetooth technology was named.
The architecture of the hall corresponds to the style of castles constructed during Blåtand’s reign. Archaeologists suspect the land on which the hall was erected may have belonged to a well-known nobleman, conceivably Runulv den Rådsnilde whose name is inscribed on a local rune stone.
“It is difficult to prove that the found Viking hall belonged to the family of Runulv den Rådsnilde, but it is certainly a possibility,” said Knudsen. “If nothing else, the rune stone and hall represent the same social class and both belong to society’s elite.”
According to the archaeologist team who have been hard at work excavating part of the hall, this structure likely played a monumental role in the day-to-day agricultural functions and served as a place for Viking guild get-togethers that would have been responsible for political meetings. They are certain also that there are several houses hidden under the mulch to the east that connects to the main hall believing this discovery is only starting.
An artist’s impression of Harald “Bluetooth” Blåtand and the rune, which archaeologists believe may show a link between the hall and an area nobleman.
Radiocarbon dating will be used to determine the precise time period the building was actively used. This will occur as the team starts the second half of the hall excavation next year. Researchers from the team have confirmed that plans are already being prepared to remove a section of turf in order to get an exact and accurate idea of when the structure’s main hall was built.
The replica Viking hall located at Borghyden heights in Norway is a perfect example of how this hall might have looked like during the Late Viking era. According to the Lofotr Museum, a major joint Nordic excavation project was carried out in Borghøyden heights which discovered “a chieftain’s seat from the early Iron Age.” Buried and hidden among the ancient buildings.
Sarah Kuta, a correspondent for the Smithsonian writes how important this kind of discovery. “The seafaring Vikings inhabited many places from the 9th to the 11th centuries, including mainland Europe, Ireland, England, Scotland, Wales, Greenland, North America, the Faroe Islands and beyond. Archaeologists continue to find traces of their history, including swords, jewelry, longhouses, and coins.”
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While media highlights their violence and toughness, there’s more to the Viking culture than just conquering lands. The Vikings were not just warriors but also traders, explorers, and lawmakers – and many of their influences are still felt in the modern world. Unfortunately, these aspects are often overlooked because they’re not as exciting as swordfights.
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REFERENCES & SOURCES:
- Vikings: Huge Viking hall uncovered in biggest Viking discovery
- Archaeologists Unearth Viking Hall in Denmark – Smithsonian
- A Massive Viking Hall was Unearthed in Denmark
- Massive Viking hall unearthed in biggest find in a decade
- A Viking Hall Thought to Be 1000 Years Old Unearthed in Denmark
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I love stories about my ancestors. How exciting.
I am glad you found the post interesting. So your ancestor were Vikings? How cool!
Yea. We have Rollo & Siward. Gunnor and Sprota were probably Scandinavian. Most of those Normans who invaded England had Viking stock.
That’s awesome!
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Thank you for sharing!
It’s always fascinating to learn more about the history and culture of the Vikings, and this discovery provides valuable insights into their way of life and the structures they built.
Yeah it’s amazing. I feel like sometimes the world is small and then reading about these new discovering always reminds me how truly big it is and how discoveries are made everyday. This structure is amazing and first of kind to be discovered in over ten years. What a dream for that team to be able to work on it and bring us more information!
Reblogged this on Calculus of Decay .
Such an incredible find! Really interesting to read more on this 🙂
Thank you. Hope all has been well with you. I did link some sources that may lead to more details. The will be having the site excavated more next year so I am sure detailed journal’s on everything will be published. They usually are! Happy travels! Thanks as always for reading!
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Thank you!
A fascinating find for Viking history. It is a shame the Vikings have a Hollywood image when there was so much more to this world. I had not heard about the Hune discovery so was very interested to read of it. It is hard for me to imagine modern life in a country such as Norway and Denmark, where a backyard may contain layers of history or artefacts of importance. I believe scandi residents have to get permission to dig up your backyard from the authorities first in case they disturb some ancient site.