Viking 'ring fortress' discovered in Denmark

[Still Waters]

Archaeologists in Denmark have discovered a distinctive ring-shaped Viking fortress which historians believe may have been used to launch an invasion of England.

The fortress found on the Danish island of Zealand, around 30 miles south of Copenhagen, is the fifth circular fortress to be unearthed, and the first in over 60 years.

http://www.telegraph...in-Denmark.html

[toyomotor]

Archaeologists in Denmark have discovered a distinctive ring-shaped Viking fortress which historians believe may have been used to launch an invasion of England.

The fortress found on the Danish island of Zealand, around 30 miles south of Copenhagen, is the fifth circular fortress to be unearthed, and the first in over 60 years.

http://www.telegraph...in-Denmark.html

You want it should be found in China?

If a Viking Ring Fort you should want, why not in Viking country look?

[George Ford]

I wonder why circular forts were more popular than square or rectangle shape forts in Denmark?

[pallidin]

Good find. Very interesting to be sure, even if was just a fort.

[pallidin]

I wonder why circular forts were more popular than square or rectangle shape forts in Denmark?

Good point, as square forts are much more common in other parts of the world... perhaps easier/faster to construct than circular?

Also, it seems that a circular fort has several advantages over a square one.

First, perhaps, being an "equidistant" defense structure.

Secondly, it's far easier for an invader to scale a straight wall than one that is curved.

I don't know, just speculating...

Edited September 8, 2014 by pallidin

[Franskhotdog]

I'm from Denmark and i just wont to correct a little error in the article.

The ring-shaped fortress is not on an island south of Copenhagen., it's near a town called "Køge" which lies aprox. 40-50 km south of Copenhagen. Both towns are themself located on an island called "Sjælland" maybe thats whats caused the confusion

[Dr Hu Dunnit]

I am assuming it used to be a big stone wall or wooden wall, now covered in vegetation?

[Franskhotdog]

yes like a fortress and inside theres was small houses and the four roads going throuh it and probably some wooden defenses around too

[jarjarbinks]

to #2 : No dead spot

[coolguy]

Very cool are they sure there forts?? I think the round one is easier to get to one side to the other.if it is a fort

[toyomotor]

Circular defensive constructions were common throughout Celtic Britain.

The remains of the constructions are plainly visible from the air, and many have been the scene of archaeological investigation.

[+DieChecker]

I wish there was an actual link to a actual pic of the location. Because when these kind of things are found, and the last one was found 60 years ago, and they are clearly recognizable from the air, it makes me wonder if perhaps no one ever went looking.

[Peter B]

I wish there was an actual link to a actual pic of the location. Because when these kind of things are found, and the last one was found 60 years ago, and they are clearly recognizable from the air, it makes me wonder if perhaps no one ever went looking.

I do'nt think we should assume all such forts are "clearly recognisable from the air".

On the basis of Frankshotdog's information that it's near the town of Køge, I note on Google Maps that there are a few forested areas nearby. For all we know the fort could be inside one of them. Alternatively, it could have been degraded so much in the intervening 1000-odd years that there isn't anything visible to the naked eye, and (in an event which would have warmed the hearts of the Time Team archaeologists) it was discovered thanks to good old Geo-Fiz.

[Peter B]

I am assuming it used to be a big stone wall or wooden wall, now covered in vegetation?

My guess would be an earth embankment with a low wooden wall.

I wonder if such places were more akin to ceremonial or residential places rather than fortifications.

[Thorvir]

Very cool are they sure there forts?? I think the round one is easier to get to one side to the other.if it is a fort

What else do you think it could be?

[Aardvark-DK]

Since Denmark is an agricultural country, most of these kind of landmarks, has been plowed over again and again....so no, not visible from space, like fx. contructs in Egypt etc. What is interesting about this one, is, that its from about the same time as Denmark went Christian, and from the time when the "founder" of Denmark was living (he was called Harald Blåtand (Harald Bluetooth..hehe no ****)...

[+DieChecker]

I do'nt think we should assume all such forts are "clearly recognisable from the air".

That is why I'd like to see a photo of the site.

[Franskhotdog]

Very cool are they sure there forts?? I think the round one is easier to get to one side to the other.if it is a fort

No they are not sure those 5 unique ring-shaped places are military fortresses, there's some burial grounds close by the 4 other places that also contained the body's of woman and children, which speaks against them being a military fort.. some think it's more an administration place than a fort, but maybe this new find can clear that up.. they were probably build by the same man (harald bluetooth) in a time where the vikings were under pressure from the germans and at the same time they were conquering norway and england so perhaps they had multiple functions. there was also an battle inside denmark at the time because harald bluetooth introduced christianity to the danish vikings, and i guess they weren't too happy about that so maybe he was protecting some people against attacks from other vikings in the country.

[Franskhotdog]

That is why I'd like to see a photo of the site.

I've seen some but there's actually not much to see at the moment, they just made some small test digs around the area, to get a plan going i guess so just a few boring holes in the ground right now but i can try to find some pictures if you really want to see but there's a pretty cool picture of the scans they did of the ground when they searched for it that shows the shape of it clearly.. its actually located on a farmers field very close to the freeway, but as stated before its been plowed by farmers many times so you can't see it from the air im not sure how/if i can post pictures in these threads?

[shrooma]

I am assuming it used to be a big stone wall or wooden wall, now covered in vegetation?

.

probably wooden ballustrades, comparable to iron-age hill forts, and roman encampments.

(although, romans built (like the greeks) in straight lines, not curves, which seems to be a mediterranian oddety compared with the rest of europe.)

.....and welcome to UM.....

.

[Franskhotdog]

That is why I'd like to see a photo of the site.

I found away to show you some pictures of the site i think.

This picture here is the cool ground scan of the area, were you clearly see the ringshape underground

http://i57.tinypic.com/fu5e14.jpg

And here i compared the scan with a google earth image of the same area., you should see the match

http://i61.tinypic.com/f03spc.jpg

And here is one from the actual site itself were they just started to excavate

http://i59.tinypic.com/33oif07.jpg

hope it works

Edited September 9, 2014 by Franskhotdog

[pallidin]

What else do you think it could be?

If I have this correctly, there were numerous wooden stakes surrounding that structure.

This portends to more of a "fort" than a "ceremonial" facility even though the entrances were aligned to N/S/E/W. which understandably offers confusion.

Perhaps archeological digs, if permitted, can shed some more light on it's purpose.

[Franskhotdog]

If I have this correctly, there were numerous wooden stakes surrounding that structure.

This portends to more of a "fort" than a "ceremonial" facility even though the entrances were aligned to N/S/E/W. which understandably offers confusion.

Perhaps archeological digs, if permitted, can shed some more light on it's purpose.

Yes hopefully it can most archaeologist believes that they were used to control the area they were located in., there was kind of a battle going on in denmark at the time about who was going to be the next king, and it is believed that harald bluetooth build them as protection against enemies in denmark but also from foreign countries.

On this picture you can see how all 5 of them are located in denmark., i've marked the new fort location with a red circle and the blue questionmark is where there is supposibly one more located, if you go by the distances between them ( aprox. 30-40 km which corresponded to a days walk on foot in those times) but i,ve read somewhere that its under a town or something so it cant be excavate.

http://i60.tinypic.com/2i2c76g.jpg

And i think your right about the wooden stakes

Edited September 9, 2014 by Franskhotdog

[+DieChecker]

I found away to show you some pictures of the site i think.

This picture here is the cool ground scan of the area, were you clearly see the ringshape underground

http://i57.tinypic.com/fu5e14.jpg

And here i compared the scan with a google earth image of the same area., you should see the match

http://i61.tinypic.com/f03spc.jpg

And here is one from the actual site itself were they just started to excavate

http://i59.tinypic.com/33oif07.jpg

hope it works

That is really interesting. Thank you very much for those links.

[Franskhotdog]

That is really interesting. Thank you very much for those links.

Your welcome and let me know if there's anymore questions and i'll try to answer the best i can