Aggersborg is the largest of
Denmark
)
, song = ( en, "King Christian stood by the lofty mast")
, song_type = National and royal anthem
, image_map = EU-Denmark.svg
, map_caption =
, subdivision_type = Sovereign state
, subdivision_name = Danish Realm, Kingdom of Denmark
...
's former
Viking ring fortress
A Viking ring fortress, or Trelleborg-type fortress, is a type of circular fort of a special design, built in Scandinavia during the Viking Age. Collectively, they may also be known as trelleborgs. These fortresses have a strictly circular shape, ...
, and one of the largest archaeological sites in Denmark. It is located near
Aggersund
Aggersund is a village in northern Denmark with a population of 290 (2022). The village is a part of Vesthimmerland Municipality in the North Jutland Region.
Evidence of settlement in Aggersund dates back to the stone age, and the village contain ...
on the north side of the
Limfjord
The Limfjord ( common Danish: ''Limfjorden'' , in north Jutlandish dialect: ''Æ Limfjord'') is a shallow part of the sea, located in Denmark where it has been regarded as a fjord ever since Viking times. However, it now has inlets both from ...
. It consists of a
circular rampart
A circular rampart (German: ''Ringwall'') is an embankment built in the shape of a circle that was used as part of the defences for a military fortification, hill fort or refuge, or was built for religious purposes or as a place of gathering.
The ...
surrounded by a
ditch
A ditch is a small to moderate divot created to channel water. A ditch can be used for drainage, to drain water from low-lying areas, alongside roadways or fields, or to channel water from a more distant source for plant irrigation. Ditches ar ...
. Four main
road
A road is a linear way for the conveyance of traffic that mostly has an improved surface for use by vehicles (motorized and non-motorized) and pedestrians. Unlike streets, the main function of roads is transportation.
There are many types of ...
s arranged in a
cross
A cross is a geometrical figure consisting of two intersecting lines or bars, usually perpendicular to each other. The lines usually run vertically and horizontally. A cross of oblique lines, in the shape of the Latin letter X, is termed a sa ...
connects the fortress center with the rampart's outer ring. The roads were tunneled under the outer rampart, leaving the circular structure intact.
The location was originally the site of an
Iron Age
The Iron Age is the final epoch of the three-age division of the prehistory and protohistory of humanity. It was preceded by the Stone Age (Paleolithic, Mesolithic, Neolithic) and the Bronze Age (Chalcolithic). The concept has been mostly appl ...
village which was removed during the 10th century to allow for the construction of the ring fortress. The fortress itself was likely constructed c. 980, and was later abandoned. Although the exact purpose of the fortress is unknown, the location is of significant strategic importance, as it overlooks a narrow strait of the
Limfjord
The Limfjord ( common Danish: ''Limfjorden'' , in north Jutlandish dialect: ''Æ Limfjord'') is a shallow part of the sea, located in Denmark where it has been regarded as a fjord ever since Viking times. However, it now has inlets both from ...
.
Many archaeological excavations have been conducted on the site, revealing its original structure and design. These excavations also uncovered a large number of artefacts from the Iron Age and
Viking Age
The Viking Age () was the period during the Middle Ages when Norsemen known as Vikings undertook large-scale raiding, colonizing, conquest, and trading throughout Europe and reached North America. It followed the Migration Period and the Ger ...
.
The surface of the site as it exists today is a reconstruction.
History
Dating the structure has proven difficult, because it was the site of an
Iron Age
The Iron Age is the final epoch of the three-age division of the prehistory and protohistory of humanity. It was preceded by the Stone Age (Paleolithic, Mesolithic, Neolithic) and the Bronze Age (Chalcolithic). The concept has been mostly appl ...
village before the construction of the ring fortress. Archaeological finds suggest that this village was settled during the late 8th century. It was destroyed during the 10th century, and the grounds were cleared for the construction of the fortress. The ring fortress itself is believed to have been constructed around 980 during the reign of king
Harold Bluetooth
Harald "Bluetooth" Gormsson ( non, Haraldr Blátǫnn Gormsson; da, Harald Blåtand Gormsen, died c. 985/86) was a king of Denmark and Norway.
He was the son of King Gorm the Old and of Thyra Dannebod. Harald ruled as king of Denmark from c. 95 ...
and/or
Sweyn Forkbeard
Sweyn Forkbeard ( non, Sveinn Haraldsson tjúguskegg ; da, Svend Tveskæg; 17 April 963 – 3 February 1014) was King of Denmark from 986 to 1014, also at times King of the English and King of Norway. He was the father of King Harald II of D ...
. Five of the six ring fortresses in historical Denmark have been dated to this era. The exact purpose of the fortress remains uncertain. Some historians have argued that the fortress' primary function was as a barracks or training grounds in connection with
Sweyn Forkbeard's armies, which conquered England in the early 1000s. This theory has been disproven by
dendrochronological
Dendrochronology (or tree-ring dating) is the scientific method of dating tree rings (also called growth rings) to the exact year they were formed. As well as dating them, this can give data for dendroclimatology, the study of climate and atmos ...
dating of the site. It is more likely that Aggersborg and the other Viking ring fortresses were intended as defensive strongholds along strategic trade points and/or administrative outposts of the budding state.
Aggersborg location was of strategic importance, as it was protected but also easily accessible by ship. Both ends of the
Limfjord
The Limfjord ( common Danish: ''Limfjorden'' , in north Jutlandish dialect: ''Æ Limfjord'') is a shallow part of the sea, located in Denmark where it has been regarded as a fjord ever since Viking times. However, it now has inlets both from ...
were open waterways when the fortress was constructed and the fjord constituted an important sailing route from the
North Sea
The North Sea lies between Great Britain, Norway, Denmark, Germany, the Netherlands and Belgium. An epeiric sea on the European continental shelf, it connects to the Atlantic Ocean through the English Channel in the south and the Norwegian S ...
to the
Kattegat
The Kattegat (; sv, Kattegatt ) is a sea area bounded by the Jutlandic peninsula in the west, the Danish Straits islands of Denmark and the Baltic Sea to the south and the provinces of Bohuslän, Västergötland, Halland and Skåne in Sweden ...
. Although the waterway was open, it is speculated that ships had to
portage
Portage or portaging (Canada: ; ) is the practice of carrying water craft or cargo over land, either around an obstacle in a river, or between two bodies of water. A path where items are regularly carried between bodies of water is also called a ...
on land past
Løgstørgrunde. The portion of the fjord that Aggersborg is located is relatively narrow and was one of the three ancient crossings of the ''
Hærvejen
Hærvejen (Danish, literally: ''the army road'', german: link=no, Ochsenweg, literally: '' oxen way'', nds, Ossenpadd, literally: oxen path), sometimes referred to in English as the Ox Road, is the name given to an ancient trackway in Denmark and ...
'' (''army road'') across the Limfjord. The two other crossings existed to the north of
Farstrup, and near
Lindholm Høje
Lindholm Høje (Lindholm Hills, from Old Norse ''haugr'', hill or mound) is a major Viking burial site and former settlement situated to the north of and overlooking the city of Aalborg in Denmark.
About the area
The southern (lower) part of Li ...
in
Ålborg
Aalborg (, , ) is Denmark's fourth largest town (behind Copenhagen, Aarhus, and Odense) with a population of 119,862 (1 July 2022) in the town proper and an urban population of 143,598 (1 July 2022). As of 1 July 2022, the Municipality of Aal ...
, respectively.
The structure of the ring fortress was completed within one or two years, and only used for a short period of time; between five and twenty years. The ring fortress had an inner diameter of 240 metres. The ditch was located eight metres outside of the rampart, and was approximately 1.3 metres deep. The wall is believed to have been four metres tall. The rampart was constructed of soil and turf, reinforced and clad with oak wood. The rampart formed the basis for a wooden
parapet
A parapet is a barrier that is an extension of the wall at the edge of a roof, terrace, balcony, walkway or other structure. The word comes ultimately from the Italian ''parapetto'' (''parare'' 'to cover/defend' and ''petto'' 'chest/breast'). Whe ...
. Smaller streets were located within the four main sections of the fortress. Today, the fortress is approximately 10 meters above sea-level, and 350 meters from the coastline.
It is believed the coastline and sea-level at the site had changed over time, as the strait was once much wider, reaching closer to the fortress itself.
The modern Aggersborg is a reconstruction created in the 1990s. It is lower than the original fortress.
Archaeological remains
Several archaeological excavations have been carried out at the site since the 20th century. The National Museum of Denmark conducted significant excavations of the cite between 1945 and 1954. In 1970 and again in 1990, additional trenches were studied. Together, these excavations recovered more than 30,000 artefacts and many animal remains. They covered approximately 13,000 m
2 of the site's total area and recorded some 19,500 individual features.
The large number of archaeological finds discovered on the site include many imported luxury items. Examples include beads of mountain crystal and pieces of glass jars. A damaged golden ring has been discovered on the site as well; a replica is displayed in the Aggersborg museum.
Excavations have also uncovered artefacts from the Iron Age village which predated the ring fortress at the site. These artefacts include a variety of common household objects: pottery, iron tools and weapons, jewellery, and coins. Very few traces of specialised craft were uncovered, e.g. evidence of metalworking or refuse from bone-working. These artefacts also included a number of objects of import, primarily from Norway, but also western Europe and the British Isles. Based on these objects, the village was likely settled in the late 8th century and demolished during the 10th century. After the fortress which replaced it was abandoned, the village was not resettled, though artefacts from the period which immediately followed have been found in areas near the site.
The site's ring fortress structure is typified by its earthen rampart and its carefully aligned circular design, comprising wooded structures and buildings which are arranged into courtyards. Archaeologists have estimated that the ring fortress could hold a 5,000-man garrison, located in 48
longhouse
A longhouse or long house is a type of long, proportionately narrow, single-room building for communal dwelling. It has been built in various parts of the world including Asia, Europe, and North America.
Many were built from timber and often rep ...
s. Twelve longhouses were located in each quadrant, all located on a north-south or west-east axis. No remains of the actual houses exist, but proof of the location of the walls has been found.
The individual houses are believed to have been similar to the form seen on the
Camnin chest, a house-shaped
reliquary
A reliquary (also referred to as a ''shrine'', by the French term ''châsse'', and historically including ''wikt:phylactery, phylacteries'') is a container for relics. A portable reliquary may be called a ''fereter'', and a chapel in which it i ...
, as well as on house-shaped
tombstones in
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Wales to its west and Scotland to its north. The Irish Sea lies northwest and the Celtic Sea to the southwest. It is separated from continental Europe b ...
. The houses had curved roofs and curved sides, similar to the form of a ship; 32.5 metres long and 8.5 metres across. They were divided in a long inner hall, around 19 metres long, with smaller rooms at the end. It is estimated that construction of a single Aggersborg house required 66 large oak trees. The entire structure, housing included, is estimated to have used 5,000 large oaks.
Gallery
File:Aggersborg guldarmring stor.jpg, alt=, Golden armband found near Aggersborg.
File:Aggersborg stor.jpg, alt=, Panorama of the existing site.
References
*
*
*
*
Inline citations
{{Authority control
Viking ring fortresses
Forts in Denmark
Buildings and structures in Vesthimmerland Municipality
Archaeological sites in Denmark