Discovery of the remains of an ancient Viking hall in Denmark
A typical longhouse, photographed in Denmark. Credits: Vinding
As part of the subdivision of a detached house plot in northern Denmark, archaeologists unearthed a somewhat older house. The Viking Hall, which was once around forty meters long, may date back to the time of Harald Blåtand.
?Era of King "Bluetooth"
The remains of the building are on land in Hune. In its heyday, the hall was up to forty meters long and eight to ten meters wide . A dozen oak poles would also have supported a large roof, according to a statement from Nordjyske Museer.
For Thomas Rune Knudsen, archaeologist at the Museum of North Jutland and head of the excavations, it is the largest Viking Age find of its kind in a decade. " We've never seen anything like it here in North Jutland ," he said, adding that as well as being a place of daily activity, the hall probably served as a gathering place for people. political meetings between Vikings.
In its design, the architecture of this great hall is reminiscent of the houses found in the circular castles of Harald Blåtand (or Harald Bluetooth, named after the wireless technology), who ruled Denmark in the late 10th century. This king is particularly known for having unified Scandinavia. Beyond the unification of Denmark and Norway, "Bluetooth" had also converted the Danes to Christianity.
For this reason, archaeologists suggest that the building may date from the end of the Viking Age (last half of the 9th century or the very first part of the 11th century). The team will soon perform radiocarbon dating of the structure to refine these estimates.
An aerial view of the Viking Hall found in Hune, Denmark. Credit: Nordjyske Museer
?A noble family
So far, the remains of this Viking building have only been partially excavated. The search will resume at the beginning of the year, depending on the weather. Due to the building's large footprint and potential community use, the team suspects the presence of several other hidden structures in the surrounding area. Indeed, a room of this nature is rarely isolated.
In addition to the discovery of the Viking hall, the researchers even think to know to whom the land could belong. Near Hune stands a runic stone possibly dated to this particular period (970-1020). The stone dated 970-1020, which is one and a half meters high, bears the following text: “ Hove, Thorkild, Thorbjørn laid the stone of their father Runulv den Rådnilde ”. It will naturally be difficult to prove that this large Viking hall belonged to the family of Runulv den Rådsnilde (an ancient noble family), but it is certainly a possibility.
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