Archaeologists uncover 2,000-year-old temple at Denmark Iron Age settlement
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Archaeologists unearthed a 2000-year-old temple in Denmark; This temple offers a glimpse into the once powerful mysterious society that built it.
The Museum Midtjylland has announced the discovery of the temple at Hedegård, an ancient site containing the “largest and richest burial site” in Scandinavia, according to its website. The latest excavation started last August.
Hedegård, located near Ejstrupholm north of the Skjern River, has been described as Denmark’s largest settlement from the period “around the birth of Christ”, the museum said.
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Working with researchers from the Horsens Museum and the Moesgaard Museum, archaeologists have found evidence of a large fortified settlement that once served as a regional center of power in the Iron Age.
Luxury items, weapons from Celtic tribes, and “prestige” items from Roman workshops appeared in the settlement.
Archaeologists in Denmark have unearthed a 2,000-year-old temple at Hedegård, described as a major power center of the Iron Age. (Midtjylland Museum)
The evidence shows that the settlement “flourished in the period leading up to the birth of Christ.”
“At this point, we see rich graves and many gun graves in the cemetery to the north of the village,” the museum said.
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But the crown jewel of the excavation was the temple, which measured roughly 49 by 53 feet.
“The structure probably appeared as a tall, almost square, tower-like building with external columns.”
The structure was once burned. Diggers found traces of “two temple phases” under the burnt layer, shedding light on the temple’s history.
“Right in the center [6 x 6 foot] elevated clay platform,” officials said.
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“In the younger period, an ornate hearth was built here, partially covering the old hearth. The younger temple was moved. [30 inches] It was further north than before, but otherwise it was pretty much the same. The old hearth was left untouched; the new one is built on top of it.”
According to the archeology curator, the pagan structure was built between 50 BC and 50 AD. (Midtjylland Museum)
Archaeologists also found pieces of plaster, suggesting that the walls of the temple were once painted white.
The site stated, “Early results show that the temple was active in the years close to the birth of Christ.”
“The structure probably appeared as a tall, almost square, tower-like building with external columns. The hearth dominated the interior.”
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The museum also said: “The temple was carefully cleared before being deliberately burned, leaving few artifacts behind. However, two extraordinary glass beads were discovered; probably produced in the Middle East or Egypt.”
The site has been the subject of scientific interest since Danish archaeologists found an unusual number of richly decorated tombs in the late 1980s.
“Christianity did not reach Scandinavia until almost 1,000 years later.”
“It remains unique in Northern European archaeology as an early and unique display of military, economic and religious power,” the museum’s statement said.
Archaeology curator Martin Winther Olesen said since the site was discovered more than three decades ago, archaeologists have known that the site was “something completely different”.
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“When our geophysical surveys revealed a fortification in the village, it was clear that this was something unusual,” he said.
Olesen stated that the temple was a pagan structure built between 50 BC and 50 AD.
The richly decorated tombs and numerous weapon burials in the north of the settlement first attracted scholarly attention in the late 1980s. (Midtjylland Museum)
“Christianity did not reach Scandinavia until 1,000 years later,” he said, adding that Hedegård had “extensive foreign contacts”, including knowledge of Celtic and Roman architectural traditions.
Evidence suggests that Hedegård was only used for three generations before disappearing.
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Olesen said all the evidence proved that Hedegård had “everything needed to be an early Iron Age power centre” and that he could talk about the site “for two hours”.
“The site is strategically located and controls the most important route to Jutland,” the expert said. “There is clear militarization in the form of weaponry, but also in the construction of fortifications.”
The Iron Age depicted above was generally marked by military might, expanding trade networks, and religious rituals; All of these are on full display at the Danish settlement of Hedegård, archaeologists say. (Midtjylland Museum)
He added: “There is a political elite, there is a monumental building, there is craft and trade, and of course it is also the center of the practice of the cult.”
The official noted that the discovery was only possible thanks to “super talented archaeologists and researchers from Denmark and abroad.”
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“It is a wonderful privilege to be allowed to work with a find that has an international dimension,” Olesen said.
