The Nydam Mose, also known as Nydam Bog, is an

archaeological site An archaeological site is a place (or group of physical sites) in which evidence of past activity is preserved (either prehistoric or historic or contemporary), and which has been, or may be, investigated using the discipline of archaeology an ...

located at Øster Sottrup, a town located in Sundeved, eight kilometres from Sønderborg,

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 ...

History

In the

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 ...

, the site of the bog was a sacred place, where the weapons and ships of vanquished armies were offered to the indigenous gods in thanks for victory over the fallen enemy. Many items were deliberately destroyed (bent, broken or hacked into pieces) in ritual sacrificial acts, from the period 200–400 CE. The first known finds from the bog date from the 1830s, when a local farmer gave old swords and shields as toys to his children. Amongst numerous other items, three boats were found in Nydam Bog. In particular, the long oak boat, commonly known as "the Nydam Boat", maintains a distinguished position amongst Danish Iron Age finds, as it is one of the oldest known rowing vessel in

Northern Europe The northern region of Europe has several definitions. A restrictive definition may describe Northern Europe as being roughly north of the southern coast of the Baltic Sea, which is about 54th parallel north, 54°N, or may be based on other g ...

(the

Hjortspring boat The Hjortspring boat ( da, Hjortspringbåden) is a vessel designed as a large canoe, from the Scandinavian Pre-Roman Iron Age. It was built circa 400–300 BC. The hull and remains were rediscovered and excavated in 1921–1922 from the bog of ''H ...

, also found in Denmark, is even older). The oak boat (''egetræsbåden'') is on display at the archaeological museum in Gottorf Castle, Schleswig, Germany.

Excavation

First excavation

From 1859 to 1863, archaeologist Conrad Engelhardt excavated the bog. Engelhardt found weapons, tools, pieces of clothing and two intact clinker built boats, one made of oak and one made of pine. The weapons include lances,

spear A spear is a pole weapon consisting of a shaft, usually of wood, with a pointed head. The head may be simply the sharpened end of the shaft itself, as is the case with fire hardened spears, or it may be made of a more durable material fasten ...

s, bows,

arrow An arrow is a fin-stabilized projectile launched by a bow. A typical arrow usually consists of a long, stiff, straight shaft with a weighty (and usually sharp and pointed) arrowhead attached to the front end, multiple fin-like stabilizers c ...

s and round

shield A shield is a piece of personal armour held in the hand, which may or may not be strapped to the wrist or forearm. Shields are used to intercept specific attacks, whether from close-ranged weaponry or projectiles such as arrows, by means of a ...

s. Under these finds were the remains of a third boat, which apparently had been demolished already during the sacrifice. Engelhardt's work ceased with the outbreak of the

Second Schleswig War The Second Schleswig War ( da, Krigen i 1864; german: Deutsch-Dänischer Krieg) also sometimes known as the Dano-Prussian War or Prusso-Danish War was the second military conflict over the Schleswig-Holstein Question of the nineteenth century. T ...

in early 1864. Some of the discoveries from the bog were lost during the Second Schleswig War. The smaller of the two boats, perhaps 19 meters long and made of pine, was hacked up and used as firewood by troops.

Second excavation

The National Museum of Denmark resumed excavation of the bog in 1989. During excavation a large quantity of weapons have come to light, in the form of swords, spears, bows and arrows; and also personal effects such as belt buckles, brooches and ornate clasps. These finds originate from the Iron Age, in the period between 250–550 CE.

Nydam boat

The Nydam Mose sacrifice site was probably used on different occasions during the years 200–450 CE. Conrad Engelhardt on August 17, 1863 discovered the Nydam Boat. The oak boat was the first and largest of the three boats that were found in the Nydam bog, and the only one still preserved (the pine boat was entirely destoyed during the Second Schleswig War). It has been dendro dated to 310–320 CE. It is long, wide, of clinker type, weighed over three tonnes, had 14 pairs of oars and likely had a crew of around 45 men. After the end of the Second Schleswig War (1864), Denmarks was forced to transfer the Nydam Boat to

Prussia Prussia, , Old Prussian: ''Prūsa'' or ''Prūsija'' was a German state on the southeast coast of the Baltic Sea. It formed the German Empire under Prussian rule when it united the German states in 1871. It was ''de facto'' dissolved by an em ...

and today it is displayed at Gottorf Castle in Schleswig, Germany.

Nydam Society

Interest in the archaeology of Nydam Bog has always been particularly lively in the local area. The Nydam discoveries were and remain a significant theme in the relationship between Danish and German cultures in the border region. On this basis, the "Society for Nydam Research" – commonly known as the Nydam Society - was formed in 1983. Through its work, this interest group has contributed to the resumption of National Museum of Denmark's investigation of the bog. Today, the site is a green meadow. Parking is available on Nydamvej. From here, there is a path (''Nydamstien'') to the small white house, ''Nydamhuset'', which is situated beside the site of the archaeological discoveries. It takes about 10 minutes to walk there. The Nydam Society's long-standing desire to build a replica of the Nydam Boat has been realized. The Nydam Tveir was built employing the techniques of the time – both to exploit the material characteristics of the timber and to develop an understanding of how large vessels were built in that period. Construction of a replica of the Nydam Boat was based on the oak boat found in 1859. The construction of the Nydam Boat was divided into two phases. Phase 1 was a feasibility study to investigate the construction of the boat. Here the builders investigated prerequisites and gathered experience for use in Phase 2, which comprised building the complete boat. Image:Nydam.2.jpg, Engelhardt's pictures Image:Nydam.5.jpg, From the pine boat Image:Nydam 037.jpg, Swords Image:Nydam.8.jpg, A 3rd or 4th century comb with a

Swastika The swastika (卐 or 卍) is an ancient religious and cultural symbol, predominantly in various Eurasian, as well as some African and American cultures, now also widely recognized for its appropriation by the Nazi Party and by neo-Nazis. It ...

found in the bog

Panorama

References

External links

The Nydam Society homepage

Private site - Nydam Mose
{{Oldest surviving ships (pre-1919) Archaeological sites in Denmark Germanic paganism Germanic archaeological sites Iron Age Scandinavia Sacred lakes Votive offering Viking ship burials Prehistory of Denmark